Author: Buzzo

Opening summaryHello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of deadly crowd crushes at India’s Kumbh Mela festival.At least 38 people and as many as 100 are feared to have died in crushes in the early hours of Wednesday, local officials have said, as people went to bathe in a river as part of a Hindu ritual.People were crushed at about 4am on Wednesday as people surged forward in three separate areas at the confluence of the rivers in the city of Prayagraj which is the holiest place to bathe.The scale of the tragedy is still unclear but we will…

The City Council’s small Republican caucus is facing an internal crisis after half of its members contested the validity of an election for a new minority leader that took place Tuesday and elevated Staten Island Councilman David Carr to the role.The election was called to name the chamber’s new Republican minority leader in light of this weekend’s resignation of Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli, who has for years held the post.Only three of the GOP caucus’ six members — Borelli, Carr and Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov — showed up for the vote. They voted unanimously to make Carr the next…

By Staff The Associated Press Posted January 28, 2025 4:09 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Earth is moving closer to destruction, a science-oriented advocacy group said Tuesday as it advanced its famous “Doomsday Clock” to 89 seconds till midnight, the closest it has ever been. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made the annual announcement — which rates how close humanity is from ending — citing threats that include climate change, proliferation of nuclear weapons, instability in the Middle East, the threat of pandemics and incorporation of artificial intelligence in military operations.The clock…

In Hanoi and other Vietnamese cities at this time of year, potted kumquat trees fastened to motorbike seats dodge and weave through traffic in a haze of orange. Families buy them as symbols of luck and good fortune for the new Lunar New Year, which started on Wednesday.This year a typhoon and extreme heat dented the harvest, scrambling prices for kumquats and other ornamental plants associated with the holiday, which is known as Tet in Vietnam. Some people bought smaller kumquats or switched to less expensive options, like orchids or persimmon branches.Ornamental plant farmers are now stuck with unsold inventory…

Long-time leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, once dubbed “Europe’s last dictator”, has been re-elected president with 86.8% of the vote.The result has been condemned as a sham by Lukashenko’s opponents and Western governments.There were four other names on the ballot – carefully chosen to present no challenge to the current leadership – and no credible contenders were allowed to take part in the election, as all opposition figures are either in jail or in exile abroad.In a mammoth four-and-a-half hour press conference on Sunday evening, the BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg asked questions about democracy and political prisoners.

“That’s the way it is.”A “Jeopardy” contestant last Friday walked off the stage after he missed a clue about Céline Dion, moments after he had name-checked her on the show when host Ken Jennings asked who he’d like to thank. After thanking his fellow contestants while speaking to Jennings, Drew Goins, who was participating in the Champions Wildcard Tournament, said that one of the producers had suggested he thank the Canadian singer. “So, thank you, Céline Dion,” he said to the camera. ‘JEOPARDY!’ HOST KEN JENNINGS REMEMBERS THINKING ‘I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE’ DURING FIRST EPISODE A “Jeopardy” contestant last week was embarrassed…

My shredded beef tacos are outrageously delicious with melt-in-you-mouth tender beef and all your favorite taco toppings! Trust me, you won’t be able to resist going back for seconds. This Mexican shredded beef is the perfect filling for soft tortillas, and it’s easily one of my all-time favorite taco recipes! The beef turns out to be perfectly spiced, rich, and savory. To make it, we cook beef chuck low and slow with garlic and flavorful spices until it falls apart. I use my oven for this recipe, but I have included tips for making this shredded beef in a slow…

Dead bodies lay on the streets and explosions and gunfire echoed across the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, as fighting continued to rage between the army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.Residents reported continuing gun and mortar fire in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province and a regional humanitarian hub for displaced people, after M23 fighters entered the city on Sunday.At least 100 people have been killed and 1,000 wounded in three days of heavy fighting which has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the province. Hospitals were overwhelmed by patients with gunshot and shrapnel…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to welcome Heathrow’s expansion in an announcement on Wednesday, the BBC understands.A move to encourage in principle a planning application for a third runway at the airport will mark the first stage of the process and come as part of a major speech on wider growth plans to boost the economy.The government cannot prejudge the results of a formal planning application for a specific runway scheme, and the BBC understands there will be no public money for the project announced on Wednesday.The announcement will likely anger campaigners – including within Reeves’ Labour Party – who…

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and it has forced the two opposing sides to improvise weapons during the conflict. That’s why the European Union is reportedly proposing a ban on all video game console sales to Russia.As reported by Financial Times, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated that PlayStation and Xbox consoles may land on the sanctions list because Russia has used them to “operate drones.”Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony stopped selling their consoles in Russia in March 2022, roughly a month after the Russian invasion began. However, that didn’t stop second-hand sellers from getting consoles…