World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Trump attacks Clinton as victories set stage for brutal election
- 100 days until Rio 2016: 'It will be a great party, with a garbage legacy'
- Manus Island detention centre to close, Papua New Guinea prime minister says
- Number of civilians killed or injured by explosives rises 50% in five years
- Belgium extradites Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam to France
- Many killed in Aleppo as fierce fighting shatters Syria's fragile truce
- Bangladesh's pluralism is at risk if Sheikh Hasina does not stop extremists
- Robot monk to spread Buddhist wisdom to the digital generation
- Shawarmageddon: Moscow authorities threaten to ban kebabs
- German spy chief Gerhard Schindler sacked in surprise move
- 'It was anarchy': a family reflects on the Chernobyl disaster, 30 years on
- 'Dentist of horror' Jacobus van Nierop jailed for eight years
- South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar returns to Juba
- Crimean court bans 'extremist' Tatar governing body
- New Zealand's 'stunning' $5 bill named best banknote of the year
- Giulio Regeni's parents condemn arrest of activist in Cairo
- Donald Trump gets my backing, says Italy's Matteo Salvini
- Welcome to your virtual cell: could you survive solitary confinement?
- Cardinal Pell's credibility is on the line as Catholic church strikes back | George Pell
- Pepper spray flies at Donald Trump rally in Anaheim – video
- Story of cities #31: Skopje plans for the future by fixating on its ancient past
- Why New Zealand's $5 bill is banknote of the year – video explainer
- Facebook page vows to lift the lid on Eritrea's secret reign of terror
- 'Not a year went by without a Chernobyl funeral': 30 years since disaster hit
- Forget the Camerons, the African giveaway is the real Panama Papers story
- Isis has terror cells in England, says US intelligence chief
- UK GDP growth slows to 0.4% amid EU referendum uncertainty
- Renegade Libyan oil shipment sets sail at behest of splinter government
- Solitary confinement in the US – audio documentary
- 'You start seeing figures in the paint chips': recollections of life in solitary confinement
- What is solitary confinement?
- How to get hold of a Google cardboard viewer
- 6x9: a virtual reality experience of solitary confinement – FAQs
- Whitehall has fewer female bosses under Cameron, says Labour
- Australian government to 'avoid Boaty McBoatFace situation' in ship name poll
- 'Largest ever lion airlift' flies 33 big cats back to Africa
- Cape Verde soldier kills eight comrades and disappears
- Venezuela opposition inches forward with bid to remove Nicolás Maduro
- Strong sign of North Korean nuclear test as regime calls 6 May party congress
- Taiwan's oldest human fossil: mother and baby from 4,800 years ago
- Britain and Canada to urge other nations halt ransom payments to terrorists
- Panama Papers gave us a gander at all sorts of investments
- Norway launches appeal against Anders Breivik’s human rights decision
- Mexican cartel team used elaborate tactics to hunt murdered rival in Texas
- Drug mule Melissa Reid to be released from Peruvian jail
- Lords try again to overturn Tory refusal to help child refugees in Europe
- Refugee children need our protection | Letters
- Spain faces new elections in June after parties fail to form a government
- Luxleaks trial of tax whistleblowers begins in Luxembourg
- Church of England issues EU referendum prayer
- Fresh proposal to help child refugees stranded in Europe tabled
- Athens under pressure: city races to clear port's refugee camp before tourists arrive
- Why are millions of children still dying from preventable diseases? | Amy Whalley
- India's drought migrants head to cities in desperate search for water
- Fleeing fighting in Mozambique, refugees find shelter in Malawi – in pictures
- Change beckons for Vila Autódromo, the favela that got in the Rio Olympics' way
- 'I’m disgusted': readers respond to MPs vote against accepting 3,000 child refugees
- Trump and Clinton win big in north-east primaries – video
- Dentist's victims welcome eight-year jail sentence in France – video
- Delhi's natural history museum collection destroyed by fire – video
| Trump attacks Clinton as victories set stage for brutal election Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:19 PM PDT Battle lines appear drawn for general election as Republican frontrunner says Democrat has nothing going for her except 'the woman's card' Donald Trump set the stage for a brutal battle with Hillary Clinton, claiming she is only in contention for the presidency because she is a woman, as both candidates scored dominant victories in Tuesday night's primary elections. The Republican frontrunner attacked Clinton as weak and crooked and warned that she would be a "horrible president" as he sought to frame the fight for the White House. Continue reading... |
| 100 days until Rio 2016: 'It will be a great party, with a garbage legacy' Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:00 PM PDT Brazil has lurched from one controversy to the next of late, undermining confidence that Rio is ready for the Olympic Games The Olympic torch is lit, the stadiums are mostly complete and the athletes are in the final stages of their training, but instead of celebrating Wednesday's 100-day countdown to the Games, many people in Rio de Janeiro are wondering: "What more could possibly go wrong?" Initially seen as a blessing that prompted jubilation on Copacabana beach when it was first announced in 2009, South America's first Olympics is threatening to become a curse for the shell-shocked host city. Continue reading... |
| Manus Island detention centre to close, Papua New Guinea prime minister says Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:12 PM PDT Australian government will be asked to make alternative arrangements after supreme court ruled detention regime was unconstitutional The Manus Island immigration detention will close, and Australia must make new arrangements for the 850 asylum seeker and refugee men held there, the PNG prime minister, Peter O'Neill, has announced. O'Neill's announcement follows a ruling by the PNG supreme court on Tuesday that the detention of asylum seekers and refugees was illegal and unconstitutional, and it ordered the governments of Australia and PNG to immediately move to end the practise. Continue reading... |
| Number of civilians killed or injured by explosives rises 50% in five years Posted: 26 Apr 2016 04:01 PM PDT Exclusive: Civilian deaths in Turkey up 7,682% in last year alone, according to report charting 'steady and terrible increase in harm' More than 33,000 civilians were killed or injured by explosive weapons in 2015, an increase of more than 50% in five years, according to a wide-ranging survey passed to the Guardian. In the last year alone, the number of civilian deaths caused by such weapons increased by as much as 7,682% in Turkey, and 1,204% in Yemen. There were also significant increases in Egypt (142%), Libya (85%), Syria (39%) and Nigeria (22%). Continue reading... |
| Belgium extradites Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam to France Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:21 AM PDT Belgian prosecutors confirm 26-year-old, who investigators say admitted arranging logistics for atrocity, has gone to France Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, has been extradited to France from Belgium, according to Belgian federal prosecutors. "I can confirm he's been extradited," a spokeswoman said. Continue reading... |
| Many killed in Aleppo as fierce fighting shatters Syria's fragile truce Posted: 26 Apr 2016 06:59 AM PDT Opposition-held area of city at risk of siege as violence erupts days after halt in peace talks and deployment of Russian artillery Large-scale fighting has erupted in the Syrian city of Aleppo and the surrounding countryside, upending a fragile truce that was meant to pave the way for peace talks and threatening a siege of the opposition-held part of the city and a humanitarian catastrophe. Government warplanes on Tuesday killed five civil defence workers in airstrikes on the emergency teams' facilities, highlighting the growing ferocity of the conflict after the halt of the UN-mediated negotiations. Continue reading... |
| Bangladesh's pluralism is at risk if Sheikh Hasina does not stop extremists Posted: 26 Apr 2016 07:52 AM PDT Murders of gay activists and secularists highlight culture of impunity, with Hasina and Awami League accused of failing to act The government of Sheikh Hasina Wazed is under growing pressure in Bangladesh to end an apparent culture of impunity after a series of brutal murders of secular writers, bloggers and liberal intellectuals by radical Isla mists. A torrent of protest followed the latest killings, on Monday night, of Xulhaz Mannan, editor of the country's only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender magazine (LGBT), and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, an actor and fellow gay rights activist. Critics have accused the Awami League government of failing to act effectively to stop the carnage. Continue reading... |
| Robot monk to spread Buddhist wisdom to the digital generation Posted: 26 Apr 2016 06:06 AM PDT At an ancient Chinese temple, Xian'er can chant mantras and answer questions about his faith via a touch-screen display In an unexpected synthesis of ancient and modern, a Buddhist temple on the edge of Beijing has developed a robot monk who can chant mantras and and explain basic tenets of faith. At 2ft high, Xian'er is encased in saffron-yellow robes and has a shaved head. Despite spending much of his time closeted in the spiritual calm of Longquan Temple, he wears an expression of permanent surprise. |
| Shawarmageddon: Moscow authorities threaten to ban kebabs Posted: 26 Apr 2016 08:07 AM PDT Muscovites defend their favourite snack on Twitter after stalls are accused of failing sanitation standards. Meduza reports Authorities in Moscow have threatened to finally outlaw the city's beloved shawarma kebabs, claiming that the stalls that sell them have repeatedly failed to comply with sanitation standards. "We are ridding the streets of all shawarma. It's going to disappear completely," city official Alexey Nemeryuk told Russian radio station Komsomolskaya Pravda. Continue reading... |
| German spy chief Gerhard Schindler sacked in surprise move Posted: 26 Apr 2016 03:01 PM PDT The dismissal of the foreign intelligence boss comes as fears grow about an Isis attack in Germany The head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency is being pushed out of his job, government sources have said, in a surprise move that comes at a time when Germany faces a growing threat from Islamic militants. It was not immediately clear why Gerhard Schindler, who has led Germany's version of the US Central Intelligence Agency since 2012, was being removed two years before he reaches retirement age. Continue reading... |
| 'It was anarchy': a family reflects on the Chernobyl disaster, 30 years on Posted: 26 Apr 2016 03:25 AM PDT Three generations explain how their lives were transformed by the nuclear explosion in 1986 It was just a regular day for Anastasia Fedosenko. It was spring, a busy time for local farmers. Nobody told her about the explosion at first. "It was only on the third day that they said something had happened at the Chernobyl plant, but nobody knew what exactly. They evacuated pregnant women and mothers with children under five, but the rest of us just continued our normal routine, feeding and milking cows," the 73-year-old recalls. Continue reading... |
| 'Dentist of horror' Jacobus van Nierop jailed for eight years Posted: 26 Apr 2016 03:44 AM PDT French court also bans Dutchman, 51, who mutilated more than 100 patients in rural Château-Chinon, from profession for life A Dutch man nicknamed the "dentist of horror", who mutilated more than 100 patients, has been jailed for eight years by a French court. Jacobus van Nierop, 51, pulled out healthy teeth, broke patients' jaws, and caused abscesses and blood poisoning in often unnecessary and painful procedures, judges were told during his trial in March. |
| South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar returns to Juba Posted: 26 Apr 2016 06:53 AM PDT Machar due to be sworn in as vice-president in unity government as part of peace deal following two years of civil war South Sudan rebel chief Riek Machar has returned to Juba for the first time since a civil war erupted more than two years ago and after a row last week over the weapons he could bring back with him. Machar is due to be sworn in as first vice-president alongside his longtime arch-rival, president Salva Kiir, joining a unity government being formed to end the conflict. |
| Crimean court bans 'extremist' Tatar governing body Posted: 26 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT Ruling against Mejlis sparks fears of renewed crackdown against peninsula's ethnic minority The top court in Crimea has banned the ruling body of the Crimean Tatar community, the Mejlis, branding it an extremist organisation in the latest move against the peninsula's ethnic minority. The supreme court of Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine last year, ruled in favour of a lawsuit lodged by the top prosecutor of the Black Sea peninsula, who had accused the Mejlis of illegal actions and "acts of sabotage" against the territory's new Russian authorities. Continue reading... |
| New Zealand's 'stunning' $5 bill named best banknote of the year Posted: 26 Apr 2016 01:25 PM PDT Design featuring Sir Edmund Hillary judged 'clear winner' against Sweden's 20 kronor note, Russia's 100 ruble and Kazahstan's 20,000 tenge New Zealand's five-dollar note has been named the banknote of the year for 2015, a "clear winner" among nearly 40 eligible designs from a record 20 countries. Related: Open thread: what do you think of Australia's new $5 banknote? Continue reading... |
| Giulio Regeni's parents condemn arrest of activist in Cairo Posted: 26 Apr 2016 09:05 AM PDT Family of Italian researcher abducted and killed in Egypt hit out at clampdown on activists, lawyers and journalists The parents of Giulio Regeni, the Italian researcher who was tortured and killed in Egypt, have condemned the arrest of Ahmad Abdullah, a human rights activist in Cairo who was offering them legal assistance. In a statement, Regeni's parents said they were distressed by the recent wave of arrests in Egypt of activists, lawyers and journalists, some of whom were "directly engaging in the search for the truth on the abduction, torture and murder of Giulio". Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump gets my backing, says Italy's Matteo Salvini Posted: 26 Apr 2016 04:42 AM PDT Leader of rightwing Northern League party praises US Republican presidential candidate after meeting in Philadelphia One of Italy's leading rightwing politicians, Matteo Salvini, has declared his unabashed support for Donald Trump, saying he would choose the "legality and security" of a Trump presidency over the "disastrous" policies of Angela Merkel and Barack Obama. The bombastic head of the Northern League party – who is known for his verbal attacks on migrants, stance against the European Union and praise of the "good work" of fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini – met his American idol at a rally in Philadelphia on Monday. The date was 25 April, a day when most mainstream politicians in Italy are celebrating a national holiday that has never sat well with some ultra-conservative politicians: the day that marks the country's liberation from fascism. Continue reading... |
| Welcome to your virtual cell: could you survive solitary confinement? Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:30 AM PDT Based on former prisoners' testimonies, our virtual reality prison, 6x9, replicates the experience in disturbing detail There's a thin mattress on a concrete platform bed, a stainless steel washbasin and toilet, a metal door with a slot for food, and four walls rather too close for comfort. Continue reading... |
| Cardinal Pell's credibility is on the line as Catholic church strikes back | George Pell Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:29 AM PDT Education Office officials, backed by the church's lawyers, deny they kept details of an abusive priest from Pell When George Pell dumped on Melbourne's Catholic Education Office in March the question was: would the church strike back or hunker down behind the cardinal? On Wednesday the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse gave the answer: strike back hard. At issue is Pell's credit. Time and again as he has defended his record as a priest in Ballarat and bishop in Melbourne, the cardinal's best answer to his accusers has been: my word can be trusted against yours. |
| Pepper spray flies at Donald Trump rally in Anaheim – video Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:22 AM PDT Supporters and opponents of Donald Trump clash at a rally in Anaheim, California on Tuesday, with pepper spray being used against each other. Police say five people, including two little girls, were pepper sprayed by a demonstrator during the heated confrontation Continue reading... |
| Story of cities #31: Skopje plans for the future by fixating on its ancient past Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:30 PM PDT Macedonia's capital was rebuilt after the 1963 earthquake with a cutting-edge modernist vision. Now, critics say the hollow Doric columns and clumsy statues of 'antiquitisation' are transforming the city into a mini-Las Vegas "Changes like this usually happen through wars and natural disasters." The academic and activist Iskra Geshoska is describing a project called Skopje 2014, a comprehensive plan to "beautify" the city centre of Macedonia's capital. Continue reading... |
| Why New Zealand's $5 bill is banknote of the year – video explainer Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:25 PM PDT New Zealand's $5 note has been declared the 'clear winner' of banknote of the year for 2015. The society praised the 'stunning orange and brown' design and its 'gorgeous polymer window'. Scotland's Clydesdale Bank £5 note, Sweden's 20 kronor note, Russia's 100 rouble note, and Kazakhstan's 20,000 tenge note were named as runners-up Continue reading... |
| Facebook page vows to lift the lid on Eritrea's secret reign of terror Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:00 PM PDT An anonymous whistleblower claims to have new proof of human rights abuses, galvanising opposition online In a bid to upend years of secrecy in the country dubbed "Africa's North Korea", a new Facebook page is publishing documents claiming to show how the Eritrean government abuses its citizens. In just two months, SACTISM – Classified Documents of the Dwindling PFDJ has garnered more than 16,000 followers on the social media site by alleging to have new information about human rights violations committed at the hands of president Isaias Afewerki's ruling party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice. Continue reading... |
| 'Not a year went by without a Chernobyl funeral': 30 years since disaster hit Posted: 26 Apr 2016 02:53 AM PDT We meet the people most affected by the nuclear catastrophe, from the Pripyat evacuee to the daughter of a KGB first responder On 26 April 1986 one of four nuclear reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded, triggering the biggest nuclear catastrophe in history. Some living nearby found their lives changed almost immediately, for others across Europe it would be weeks or months until the full scale of the human and environmental disaster was realised. Continue reading... |
| Forget the Camerons, the African giveaway is the real Panama Papers story Posted: 26 Apr 2016 01:16 AM PDT Offshore accounts have helped people get rich off the continent's natural resources – just not ordinary citizens Revelations about the tax affairs of David Cameron's late father are a sideshow in the Panama Papers saga, diverting attention from an offshore heist that has seen billions of dollars siphoned out of Africa. For 15 years, the continent's vast wealth of natural resources have been a magnet for foreign investment, much of which has been channelled through offshore centres including the British Virgin Islands. Continue reading... |
| Isis has terror cells in England, says US intelligence chief Posted: 26 Apr 2016 04:58 PM PDT The US has evidence of jihadi plots in the UK and other European countries, says National Intelligence director James Clapper Islamic State has Brussels-style terror cells operating in England, a US intelligence chief has said. James Clapper raised concerns about the "fundamental conflict" between national security and freedom of movement across the European Union. Continue reading... |
| UK GDP growth slows to 0.4% amid EU referendum uncertainty Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:30 AM PDT Latest figures released after Bank of England warned that companies are delaying investment decisions until result of 23 June vote Britain's economy slowed sharply over the first quarter of the year, with GDP growth sliding to 0.4%, down from 0.6% in the previous quarter. The Bank of England has already warned that growth could slow further in the second quarter as uncertainty about the EU referendum outcome prompts companies to delay investment decisions. Continue reading... |
| Renegade Libyan oil shipment sets sail at behest of splinter government Posted: 26 Apr 2016 09:58 PM PDT UN-backed authorities in Tripoli call for international help to apprehend the tanker Distya Ameya which made off with 650,000 barrels of crude The unrecognised government in eastern Libya has shipped its first cargo of crude oil in defiance of UN-backed authorities in the capital, Tripoli, in a move that could deepen the divisions that have brought chaos since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Related: Chief of Libya's new UN-backed government arrives in Tripoli Continue reading... |
| Solitary confinement in the US – audio documentary Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:30 AM PDT As part of the Guardian's 6x9 project looking at life in a prison isolation cell, Gary Younge discusses the practice of solitary confinement in the US and considers the possible ways out Between 80 and 100,000 people in the US are currently in solitary confinement. They spend 23 hours a day in tiny cells with little to no human contact. Gary Younge takes a look at the practice of isolation in the US. We hear from those previously incarcerated about the conditions – a few books or papers allowed at a time, a metal combination sink toilet that sits next to their bed. Food is delivered twice a day through a metal slot in the door. The one hour allowed out is for exercise but that could be an equally small pen, perhaps with barbed wire or covered at the top. Continue reading... |
| 'You start seeing figures in the paint chips': recollections of life in solitary confinement Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:30 AM PDT What does it feel like to spend 23 hours a day in a cell that measures six by nine. These are the experiences of those who have lived it. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:30 AM PDT From what it is to how much it costs, we answer key questions about the solitary confinement of prisoners Solitary confinement is the practice of isolating people in closed cells for 22-24 hours a day, virtually free of human contact, for periods of time ranging from days to decades. Continue reading... |
| How to get hold of a Google cardboard viewer Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:30 AM PDT Find out where to buy a headset - and apply to get one free here A Google cardboard viewer is a simple and accessible way to view virtual reality (VR) content. It works as a fold-out, pop up cardboard viewer that you can use with your mobile phone to watch VR content. Continue reading... |
| 6x9: a virtual reality experience of solitary confinement – FAQs Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:30 AM PDT What is virtual reality, is your phone compatible and is it safe? Everything you need to know about our new project Continue reading... |
| Whitehall has fewer female bosses under Cameron, says Labour Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:10 AM PDT Tom Watson says gender gap among top civil servants sends out wrong message to women in Whitehall and wider workforce
Labour's second most senior politician warned that it sent the wrong signal to aspiring civil servants that 85% of permanent secretaries are now white men. Labour analysis has found that just three permanent secretaries out of 16 are women and none is from an ethnic minority. Continue reading... |
| Australian government to 'avoid Boaty McBoatFace situation' in ship name poll Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:57 PM PDT Environment minister Greg Hunt says he thinks Australians will come up with a better option than the UK vote winner A public competition will be held to name the government's new Antarctic icebreaker – and environment minister Greg Hunt is optimistic it will throw up a better alternative than Boaty McBoatFace. Related: From the Bell End to Boaty McBoatface: the trouble with letting the public name things Continue reading... |
| 'Largest ever lion airlift' flies 33 big cats back to Africa Posted: 26 Apr 2016 07:50 PM PDT Lions rescued from circuses and zoos in Latin America will get cargo plane ride to South Africa and live out their days in sanctuary park Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are being flown back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa. Related: France bans imports of lion hunt trophies Continue reading... |
| Cape Verde soldier kills eight comrades and disappears Posted: 26 Apr 2016 06:44 PM PDT Three civilians including two Spaniards also died when guard at communications outpost turned gun on those around him, say authorities A disgruntled soldier is suspected of gunning down eight other troops and three civilians at a military barracks in Cape Verde, the west African country's government said. The suspected soldier went missing and there were "strong indications" he was responsible, the former Portuguese colony's government said in a statement on its website. Continue reading... |
| Venezuela opposition inches forward with bid to remove Nicolás Maduro Posted: 26 Apr 2016 06:33 PM PDT Venezuela's electoral council has taken a small step towards allowing opponents of the president to try and initiate a recall referendum against him Venezuela's elections council has agreed to give opposition leaders a document allowing them to begin the process of seeking a referendum to remove President Nicolás Maduro , who is facing criticism over a deepening economic crisis. Opposition legislators chained themselves to the council's office last week to protest its failure to provide the paperwork for the first step toward collecting the nearly 4 million signatures needed to trigger the referendum. Continue reading... |
| Strong sign of North Korean nuclear test as regime calls 6 May party congress Posted: 26 Apr 2016 05:58 PM PDT Further banned detonation expected to mark first such summit in 36 years, with Kim Jong-un's bid for nuclear weapons to become a formal national goal North Korea has announced its ruling Workers' party congress will take place on 6 May – a landmark event that analysts suggest will be preceded by another banned nuclear test. Related: Obama rejects North Korea's nuclear offer: 'You'll have to do better than that' Continue reading... |
| Taiwan's oldest human fossil: mother and baby from 4,800 years ago Posted: 26 Apr 2016 05:06 PM PDT Archaeologists uncover extraordinary remains of mother looking down at infant in her arms Archaeologists in Taiwan have found a 4,800-year-old human fossil of a mother holding an infant child in her arms. The 48 sets of remains unearthed in graves in the Taichung area are the earliest trace of human activity found in central Taiwan. Continue reading... |
| Britain and Canada to urge other nations halt ransom payments to terrorists Posted: 26 Apr 2016 04:51 PM PDT Statement came a day after Justin Trudeau said a Canadian hostage was killed by militants hours after a ransom demand from the group went unanswered Canada and Britain will work together to urge other nations to halt the flow of ransom payments to terrorists, prime minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday, as he fielded questions about the recent death of a Canadian hostage in the Philippines. "Canada does not and will not pay ransom to terrorists, directly or indirectly," Trudeau told reporters in Alberta. The statement came one day after Trudeau announced that Canadian hostage John Ridsdel, a former mining executive, was killed by Abu Sayyaf militants, hours after a ransom demand from the group went unanswered. Continue reading... |
| Panama Papers gave us a gander at all sorts of investments Posted: 26 Apr 2016 04:05 PM PDT Media owners and the BBC are not in the clear when it comes to offshore deals, but the problem is much bigger than them The most chat-worthy fact so far in this spasm of tax-return turmoil was Boris Johnson's fee for his weekly Daily Telegraph column (the one where Boris often does his PG Wodehouse-goes-to-Brussels schtick). It's £266,667 a year – and Johnson, in fourth estate mode, once called it "chicken feed". Which hints where this whole debate my wander next. David Cameron took care to include a couple of newspapers – the Mirror and Guardian – in his catalogue of offshore investors. He could, if he'd wished, have gone on for an hour, flitting from Box 46, Sir Walter Raleigh House in St Helier – where Mr Richard Desmond's Northern and Shell (Jersey) does its business – to Ferne Park, Wiltshire – where the Viscount Rothermere of the Mail sits with a catalogue of Jersey and Bermuda trusts at his elbow. Continue reading... |
| Norway launches appeal against Anders Breivik’s human rights decision Posted: 26 Apr 2016 03:27 PM PDT Justice minister says attorney general's office has been contacted about ruling, which involves government paying legal costs Norway's government has appealed against a court ruling that authorities had violated the human rights of the far-right terrorist Anders Breivik. The justice minister, Anders Anundsen, said the government disagreed with a ruling on 20 April by Oslo district court that the isolation of Breivik, who is serving 21 years' prison for killing 77 people in 2011, breaches the European convention on human rights. Continue reading... |
| Mexican cartel team used elaborate tactics to hunt murdered rival in Texas Posted: 26 Apr 2016 02:35 PM PDT Gulf cartel men stalked Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa for two years, searching across southern US and deploying tracking devices to find him, court was told A surveillance team working for a revenge-fuelled Mexican drug cartel boss hunted a Texas-based rival in a sophisticated tracking operation and enabled his murder, a court was told on Tuesday. Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa was the personal attorney of Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the former head of the Gulf cartel. Guerrero Chapa was shot dead on the evening of 22 May 2013, as he shopped with his wife in a smart open-air precinct near Dallas-Fort Worth international airport. Continue reading... |
| Drug mule Melissa Reid to be released from Peruvian jail Posted: 26 Apr 2016 02:22 PM PDT The Scot is set to return to the UK after serving less than half her six-year sentence for cocaine smuggling Melissa Reid, a Briton jailed in Peru for cocaine smuggling, is set to return to the UK "very soon" after Peruvian authorities agreed to expel her from the country, according to the British embassy in Peru. The 22-year-old, who was jailed in 2013, has been seeking to serve the remainder of her six-year sentence closer to home in Scotland. Continue reading... |
| Lords try again to overturn Tory refusal to help child refugees in Europe Posted: 26 Apr 2016 01:43 PM PDT Peers hope to win over Conservative MPs after voting to set a quota on total unaccompanied children allowed into UK The plight of child refugees stranded in Europe has become the centre of a battle between the House of Commons and the Lords, after peers voted in support of a second proposal urging the government to take action. Peers voted by 279 to 172, a majority of 107, for an amendment to the immigration bill calling on ministers to relocate and support a specified number of children in the UK. Continue reading... |
| Refugee children need our protection | Letters Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:09 AM PDT It is a sad day when the government turns its back on vulnerable children in need of protection (Tories reject plan to accept more child refugees, 26 April). Since last year Middlesex University has received funding from the UK government and the EU to build evidence of the journeys and experiences of refugees fleeing to Greece and Italy. Tragically we see many children on their own and know that many "disappear" through the system. In January the EU criminal intelligence agency estimated that around 10,000 children had gone missing after arriving in Europe. We suspect the number is even higher. These children have been through enough horrific experiences in their lives. The fact that they make a perilous journey, risking their lives, only to find themselves in the hands of criminal gangs should make us all ashamed. Neither Europe nor Turkey is protecting children sufficiently. The argument that taking in children would encourage more to come misses the point. The children we are talking about are already in Europe and need protection. Our government has decided to abandon them. |
| Spain faces new elections in June after parties fail to form a government Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT Final attempt to save Spain from second election in six months fails as socialist leader tells king he cannot form government A last-ditch attempt to save Spain from going to the polls for the second time in six months failed after the leader of the Socialist Workers' party (PSOE), Pedro Sánchez, told the king that he could not muster enough seats, saying, "I cannot and should not submit myself for investiture". After a second round of meetings with party leaders failed to produce an agreement, King Felipe VI decided that no political party has enough support to form a government and confirmed that elections would be held on 26 June. Continue reading... |
| Luxleaks trial of tax whistleblowers begins in Luxembourg Posted: 26 Apr 2016 10:12 AM PDT MEPs attending trial of a French journalist and two former PwC employees vow to propose whistleblowers' charter A trial of three people accused of involvement in the leaking of documents that revealed industrial scale tax avoidance has begun in Luxembourg, with attending MEPs vowing to propose a whistleblowers' charter to prevent such cases in future. The so-called Luxleaks revelations brought to light multibillion-euro sweetheart deals for companies including Amazon, Ikea and Shire Pharmaceuticals, causing an international tax outrage that rocked the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, and set the scene for the Panama Papers. Continue reading... |
| Church of England issues EU referendum prayer Posted: 26 Apr 2016 09:17 AM PDT Nine-line prayer appeals for 'grace to debate the issues in this referendum with honesty and openness' The Church of England has issued a prayer for the EU referendum, which asks for honesty, openness, generosity and discernment in considering the choice faced by voters on 23 June. The nine-line prayer was released without comment by the church. However, according to a source, the text went through many iterations to ensure that it was scrupulously neutral. "There is no secret message," the source said. Continue reading... |
| Fresh proposal to help child refugees stranded in Europe tabled Posted: 26 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT After government vote against accepting 3,000 children into UK, Labour peer's proposal sidesteps financial issues by not giving specific number A new proposal to help child refugees stranded in Europe has been tabled and is expected to pass in the House of Lords on Tuesday evening, following the government's vote against accepting 3,000 children into the UK. The amendment to the immigration bill that would have forced the government to accept several thousand lone child refugees from mainland Europe was narrowly defeated in the Commons on Monday night. Continue reading... |
| Athens under pressure: city races to clear port's refugee camp before tourists arrive Posted: 26 Apr 2016 06:28 AM PDT Refuge cities The port of Piraeus and a disused airport are focal points for Athens' difficulties in dealing with the ongoing refugee crisis. The city's mayor admits it is paying heavily for flaws that should have been addressed long ago Even now, two months and 20 days after her journey from Afghanistan began, Haliva Khaveri still thinks of Greece – the country across the sea, the coastline she had looked at longingly from Turkey – in terms of hope. It's what keeps the 17-year-old and her entire family planted in Piraeus, the port city six miles south of Athens. "We are staying here," she says with conviction. "Me, my mother, my father, my three sisters, my brother – we are not moving. We are staying here, and then eventually we go to Germany or Holland." Continue reading... |
| Why are millions of children still dying from preventable diseases? | Amy Whalley Posted: 26 Apr 2016 11:00 PM PDT An effective immunisation programme, with a focus on universal coverage, can also help to build a functioning health system In the seemingly endless list of targets and goals in global health and development, one goal in particular should be a priority for leaders around the world. World immunisation week, which began on 24 April, offers an opportune moment to shine light on the progress being made to reach all children with vaccines through the global vaccine action plan (Gvap). Endorsed by 194 member states at the 2012 world health assembly, the plan is a product of the decade of vaccines initiative (2010-20), an unprecedented collaborative effort to address the hurdles on the road to universal immunisation coverage. It's an ambitious roadmap but, in reality, it is failing, with millions of children still dying from preventable diseases. |
| India's drought migrants head to cities in desperate search for water Posted: 26 Apr 2016 09:00 PM PDT Parts of India are being parched by a drought that means farmers are unable to irrigate their fields, with some areas even running out of drinking water No one in the slum of Murtinagar wants to play with Temri and Chinna. The brother and sister don't speak the local Hindi or Marathi languages – they came here, to Mumbai, India's financial capital, 10 days ago from their village, Andhra, and grew up speaking the regional language of Telegu. Jaya Kummari, their mother, brought Chinna and Temri to Mumbai because of a drought that has left Andhra without water. In the corner of the one-bedroom apartment that their parents are renting for 4,000 rupees (£40) a month, Temri and Chinna play board games. "We miss our friends," Chinna says. Continue reading... |
| Fleeing fighting in Mozambique, refugees find shelter in Malawi – in pictures Posted: 26 Apr 2016 06:15 AM PDT Renewed fighting has forced people to escape to Malawi, but with tough conditions in transit centres, the UN refugee agency UNHCR has begun relocating nearly 10,000 asylum seekers to Luwani camp, which offers more space and better facilities Continue reading... |
| Change beckons for Vila Autódromo, the favela that got in the Rio Olympics' way Posted: 26 Apr 2016 04:38 AM PDT After a violent struggle, authorities and residents have agreed a deal to urbanise the Rio de Janeiro favela that has become a potent symbol of struggle "People wonder why we want to stay here," says Sandra Maria de Souza, gesturing at the wasteland outside her home in Vila Autódromo, a favela in western Rio de Janeiro that has been devastated to make way for the Olympic Park. "But why would we want to leave? "I have lived here for 25 years and never had a problem … I live in an area of Rio where there is no drug trafficking, no risks and I can leave my doors open. If there is a problem, we neighbours all help each other; our children have always played outside," says De Souza, 44, an acupuncturist. Continue reading... |
| 'I’m disgusted': readers respond to MPs vote against accepting 3,000 child refugees Posted: 26 Apr 2016 05:01 AM PDT We asked you to send us your messages for the government after MPs voted against offering sanctuary to thousands of Syrian child refugees MPs have rejected an amendment to the immigration bill, which would have compelled the government to offer sanctuary in the UK to 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees from Europe. It's a move that has prompted a strong response from our readers, many who have expressed outrage. Below we've gathered their messages for government. Continue reading... |
| Trump and Clinton win big in north-east primaries – video Posted: 26 Apr 2016 09:40 PM PDT Donald Trump won all five states in the north-east primaries and Hillary Clinton won four on Tuesday night, with both candidates all but sealing up their parties' nominations. Trump and Clinton both took aim at each other in their speeches, appearing to look past the current primary race to the general election, while the remaining candidates were left scrambling for relevance. Watch our two-minute wrap of the night's big wins and losses Continue reading... |
| Dentist's victims welcome eight-year jail sentence in France – video Posted: 26 Apr 2016 07:48 AM PDT Victims give their reaction after a Dutch dentist is sentenced to eight years in jail in Nevers, France, for mutilating the mouths of more than 100 patients. Jacobus van Nierop pulled out healthy teeth, broke patients' jaws, and caused abscesses and blood poisoning, judges were told Continue reading... |
| Delhi's natural history museum collection destroyed by fire – video Posted: 26 Apr 2016 04:48 AM PDT The entire collection at Delhi's natural history museum has been destroyed in a fire. At least 35 firefighters tackled the blaze, which began early on Tuesday and engulfed the upper floors. Deputy chief fire officer Rajesh Panwar talks to reporters |
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