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Can Nike keep its cool?

As a child growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gloire Ndongala didn’t know much about the wider world, with one exception: he adored US basketball star Michael Jordan. “Think about it, in the Congo we had hardly any technology back then, and we still heard of Michael Jordan,”

European capitals follow UK with school closures as virus surges

Fears of an uncontrollable winter wave of coronavirus infections have prompted a growing number of European governments to close schools, breaking with a previous consensus that face-to-face teaching must be maintained. The UK, Ireland, Germany, Denmark and some northern Italian regions have all ordered schools to shut for several weeks to

Vaccine scepticism among medics sparks alarm in Europe and US

Signs that a relatively high number of healthcare workers are unwilling to receive the coronavirus vaccine in some parts of Europe and the US have alarmed politicians and health experts, as countries struggle to contain a surge in infections and carry out mass vaccination. A poll released in mid-December caused surprise

Western democracies stunned by images of unrest in Washington

Democracies around the world expressed horror at the mob storming of the US Capitol, in scenes some feared would empower the nation’s geopolitical rivals. There was universal condemnation of the violence in Washington on Wednesday night, during the certification of Joe Biden as the next US president, as politicians distanced themselves

Assault on US Capitol deepens Republican divide

As he sheltered in place in his office, Mike Gallagher, a 36-year-old Republican congressman from Wisconsin, fumed at members of his own party who were disputing Joe Biden’s win in the US presidential election. Staring into his computer screen, he blamed them for fanning the anger that caused Wednesday afternoon’s

The nightmarish end to Donald Trump’s presidency

Ninety minutes before rioters stormed Capitol Hill, US president Donald Trump addressed many of the same people using unequivocally inciteful language. “You’ll never take back our country with weakness,” Mr Trump said. “You have to show strength.” His personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, also called on the crowd to conduct “trial