Sydney Morning Herald World News
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 17:27:11 +1000Afghanistan through the lens of Paula Bronstein
Photographer Paula Bronstein has long documented life in Afghanistan.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 16:35:26 +1000UK-educated son of warlord vows to resist Taliban from valley fortress
Ahmad Massoud is faced with a group that has just inherited military hardware from the US, but he’s drawing from his father’s old template.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 16:00:07 +1000Blow for Uber: Judge rules California gig worker law unconstitutional
The law created a new category of workers granting them limited benefits while maintaining they were not employees of technology platforms like Uber and Lyft.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 15:20:17 +1000Suicide bombing targets Chinese nationals in Pakistan
The attack happened near the port of Gwadar which is part of a $84 billion Chinese investment program in the country.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 14:54:18 +1000Euro 2020 tournament a COVID ‘superspreader event’
New data suggested more than 6000 cases can be traced back to the month-long event, with 3404 people contracting the coronavirus at the final alone.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 13:31:35 +1000‘Unprecedented’: Rain falls at Greenland ice summit for first time
“That’s not a healthy sign for an ice sheet,” said an expert. “Water on ice is bad.”
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 12:55:59 +1000Taliban websites operating in five languages go dark
The sites previously had protection from Cloudflare, a San Francisco-based company that helps websites deliver content and defend against cyber attacks.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 11:55:01 +1000Ardern tells Kiwis to stay home to avoid NSW’s devastating numbers
New Zealand has recorded 21 new positive COVID-19 cases in the community. There are now 51 total cases associated with the Auckland outbreak.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 09:19:30 +1000Despite flower offering, Merkel, Putin clash over Navalny on her last trip to Russia
“I have demanded once again from the President to release [Alexei] Navalny and I have made it clear that we will remain on the case,” she said.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 04:55:34 +1000Biden vows to ‘mobilise every resource’ to evacuate Americans, Afghan allies
The US President rejected criticism of his handling of the chaotic US pullout from Afghanistan, and promised Americans there that “we will get you home”.
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 04:48:00 +1000Escape from Kabul: inside the allies’ chaotic, last-minute rescue mission
Scenes of chaos at the airport were very real. They also provided a powerful metaphor for the haphazard and humiliating end to the US-led war in Afghanistan.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 16:44:49 +1000Taliban kill Deutsche Welle reporter’s relative
The Taliban has responded violently as Afghan protests defied the regime for a second day, amid growing challenges to their rule.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 15:54:40 +1000Nicole Kidman ‘being used’ by Beijing in Hong Kong shoot
Artists say the star is providing “soft propaganda” as she skips quarantine to film Expats, a “Sex in the City meets Lost in Translation” series for Amazon.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 15:27:25 +1000In Asia, Kamala Harris must prove US reliability after Afghan chaos
The US Vice-President is embarking on a visit to Singapore and Vietnam that aims to counter China’s growing influence.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 14:46:03 +1000NZ COVID outbreak spreads to Wellington, national lockdown extended
The Ministry of Health has confirmed the first cases of the new wave recorded outside of Auckland.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 14:12:47 +1000New flames thwart French efforts to fight deadly Riviera fires
Despite calmer winds and cooler weather, the fire has forced thousands to flee and ravaged woodlands raged for a fourth day.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 12:18:00 +1000Gallery: The best photos from around the world
The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 11:00:14 +1000Prince Harry and Meghan ‘have not criticised the Queen’
A “close source” suggested the couple were unimpressed by the Queen’s claim that “recollections may vary” in response to their allegations of racism.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 08:55:34 +1000Why the UAE is a getaway for leaders on the run like Afghan president
The United Arab Emirates announced it had accepted hosting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his family, citing humanitarian grounds. He’s not the first leader to surface there.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 07:30:13 +1000‘Tsunami’: Mississippi slammed by Delta variant, 20,000 students in quarantine
About 36 per cent of Mississippi is fully vaccinated, the second-worst vaccination rate in the country, above only Alabama
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 06:30:25 +1000Afghan footballer died in fall from plane at Kabul airport
Crowds of people seeking to flee Afghanistan have thronged the airport since Taliban insurgents swept to power on Sunday, with some seen falling from airborne planes.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 05:59:47 +1000Billionaire gives displaced hermit $250,000
There has been an outpouring of support for David Lidstone since he was jailed on July 15 and accused of squatting for nearly 30 years on someone else’s property.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +1000Japanese foreign affairs chair wants more pressure on Beijing 2022
Makoto Nagamine said Japan also has serious concerns about human rights violations in Xinjiang as calls for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics mount.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 04:57:29 +1000Man surrenders after claiming to have bomb near US Capitol
Officials evacuated parts of the Capitol and sent snipers to the area after officers saw a man holding what looked like a detonator inside a ute with no licence plates.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 04:43:54 +1000Italian alleged mobster linked to Van Goghs is arrested in Dubai
Police say Raffaele Imperiale, an alleged kingpin in the Naples-based Camorra organised crime syndicate, bought two stolen Van Gogh paintings on the black market with drug money.
Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +1000From the Archives, 1979: The Lodge works better than the White House
During an interview in Sydney on August 20, 1979, the eldest son of US President Jimmy Carter revealed some engaging thoughts on politics here and back home.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 20:59:00 +1000Vaccinated travel lane set to open between Singapore and Germany
Quarantine-free travel between Europe and south-east Asia is set to resume next month with Singapore announcing a corridor with Germany for fully vaccinated passengers.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 17:32:10 +1000Gallery: The best photos from around the world
The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 17:24:10 +1000US pressuring Taliban to release American detainee
Witnesses said Taliban fighters killed at least three people and injured more than a dozen during a protest in Jalalabad just a day after promising a peaceful takeover of the country.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 16:16:38 +1000The Taliban may run Kabul but the US still controls the cash reserves
The Taliban will have to negotiate with the US and their allies to gain access to $12.9 billion in foreign reserves needed to keep the country running.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 14:51:31 +1000‘He took my virginity’: First witness delivers searing testimony at R. Kelly trial
The singer demanded absolute fealty from the many women and underage girls he recruited for sex in a two-decade racketeering scheme, the prosecutor said as the trial began.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 13:30:55 +1000‘Significant development’: likely carrier of COVID identified in NZ
New Zealand went into a lockdown of at least three days for the entire country and at least seven days in Auckland on Tuesday.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 11:58:21 +1000The honeymoon is over for Biden as Kabul excuses fail to convince
The problem for Biden is not his decision to end the war but the way his administration has handled it.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:44:23 +1000Prince Harry, Meghan believe Queen hasn’t taken ‘ownership of race allegations’
The Queen, 95, has until now been one of the few senior members of the Royal family to escape the Sussexes’ criticism.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:29:32 +1000Who is Taliban’s leader in Kabul? Meet Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar
The near-legendary fighter is expected to lead the country after twenty years of US-friendly government rule.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 07:49:09 +1000Joe Biden: Afghanistan withdrawal ‘chaos’ to be expected
The US President doesn’t think there was a better way to handle the withdrawal.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 05:36:49 +1000Contradicting WHO, US advises adults to receive COVID-19 boosters
While two vaccine doses remain highly effective at preventing severe illness and death, studies show they are becoming less effective at preventing infection.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 01:50:40 +1000WHO establishes new scientific body to examine origins of COVID-19
The WHO’s initial study was panned by the international community, which said it had been frustrated by China.
Thu, 19 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +1000From the Archives, 1991: Gorbachev dream crushed
Instigated by the “Gang of Eight”, the coup attempt of August 19 was overcome in just two days. The damage to the Soviet Union, however, would be irreparable.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 23:08:42 +1000‘We were crying’: Australians board relief flight from Bali but some vow to return
Nearly 200 passengers have boarded a flight towards Darwin from Indonesia, where there have been more than 1000 COVID deaths per day for the past month.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 19:02:04 +1000The Taliban are all smiles now but what happens next?
Its spokespeople promise rights for women and protection for minorities, but reports from the regions suggest they don’t always practice what they now preach.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 16:53:30 +1000NZ Delta case ‘originated in NSW’: Ardern
Three more cases have been added since this afternoon to a total of 10 cases in the community.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 15:29:01 +1000Early data from seven US states hint at infections among the vaccinated
Although in small numbers, breakthrough infections accounted for at least one in 5 newly diagnosed cases in six of these states and higher hospitalisation and death rates.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 14:24:15 +1000Gallery: The best photos from around the world
The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:25:15 +1000Gallery: The best photos from around the world
The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 12:48:06 +1000Sudoku creator Maki Kaji, who saw life’s joy in puzzles, dies
Known as the “Godfather of Sudoku”, Kaji never trademarked it except within Japan, which helped drive a worldwide craze.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 12:30:06 +1000Four reasons Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan wasn’t a total waste of money and lives
For many there is a real, deeply personal, sense of loss, but as a former solider I would like to offer a different perspective.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 09:51:24 +1000Human remains found in landing gear of military flight from Kabul
Images circulated on social media earlier this week of Afghans desperate to leave Kabul rushing toward a C-17 and clinging to its side.
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 08:04:38 +1000Afghans flee the country as Taliban fighters take control
Afghans flee the country as Taliban fighters take control
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 08:00:00 +1000‘No repeat of 2015’ surge: After fall of Kabul, EU fears new wave of migrants
The UN refugee agency estimates that about 550,000 Afghans have been driven from their homes so far this year, and there are fears that thousands more may now follow.