World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Split decision: Sanders nabs Oregon as Clinton claims Kentucky – as it happened
- Russians expected to be among failed doping tests from 2008 Olympics
- UN/WHO panel in conflict of interest row over glyphosate cancer risk
- Syria: Vienna meeting agrees aid airdrops but fails to set date for talks
- Senate grants September 11 victims the right to sue Saudi Arabia
- Mexico's president calls for nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage
- Berlin official condemns 'abhorrent and criminal' street attacks on women
- Potatoes four times a week could cause high blood pressure, says study
- Kenyan police launch inquiry over attack on man during protest
- Muslim states block 11 LGBT groups from attending UN Aids meeting
- Robin Wright targets Congo's 'conflict minerals' violence with new campaign
- Interpol: increased border protection forces migrants to use people smugglers
- Baghdad bombs kill dozens of civilians
- Rafsanjani daughter criticised for meeting leader of banned minority
- Face recognition app taking Russia by storm may bring end to public anonymity
- Farming is 'single biggest cause' of worst air pollution in Europe
- Three Russian editors resign amid threats to press freedom
- Potential Hillary Clinton Pentagon chief calls for increased action against Isis
- France sets carbon price floor
- Donald Trump says he is open to talks with North Korea's Kim Jong-un
- Australian election turns toxic with debate over 'illiterate and innumerate' refugees
- Brawl breaks out in South African parliament – video
- Leicester City arrive in Thailand for a victory tour
- Story of cities #45: the death of Richard Nickel, guardian of Chicago's heritage
- Love’s runaways: the gay Ugandans forced into exile | Mark Gevisser
- North Korea offers friendship with one hand, abuse with the other
- Train conductors' strike causes travel chaos on Southern services
- Enough hysteria over the migration crisis. It's time to get rational – video
- The Gaza blockade is hitting the most vulnerable hardest | Philippa Whitford
- The moment Bernie Sanders finds out he's won Oregon primary – video
- Australian election 2016: Liberal pollster Mark Textor says Dutton 'did not go too far' – as it happened
- Sri Lanka: hundreds of families missing after landslide buries three villages
- Refugees will repay EU spending almost twice over in five years - report
- Japan dodges recession with 0.4% growth in first quarter
- Alberta wildfire destroys oil sands work camp as 8,000 staff are evacuated
- Australian charity worker killed defusing Isis bomb in Iraq
- Brawl erupts in South African parliament as opposition party ejected
- Senate approves $1.1bn for Zika fight but House alternative bill provides far less
- RAF fighters intercept Russian jets near Estonia for second time in a week
- What's it like to be LGBTI where you live? Share your experiences
- Abortion rate in England and Wales hits five-year high
- Kenyan police officers beat protester – video
- Russian rocket blasts off from new Vostochny spaceport – onboard camera video footage
- Blackouts, looting and murder: Venezuela's state of emergency – video explainer
- The first 50 lashes: a Saudi activist's wife endures her husband’s brutal sentence
- Islam and Christianity share 'idea of conquest', says Pope Francis
- Toxic 'red tide' in Chile prompts investigation of salmon farming
- York Minster criticised for allowing Buddhist meditation
- Immigrant deaths expose 'legal black hole' of Canada's detention system
- Roman treasures discovered off Israeli coast – video
- Japan's coal-fired plants 'to cause thousands of early deaths'
- Superblocks to the rescue: Barcelona’s plan to give streets back to residents
- 'I just got trapped': Nepal tries to expand girls' horizons beyond marriage
- Gates Foundation commits $80m to plugging gender equality data gap
- 'We can’t keep looking at women as body parts or diseases', says Women Deliver CEO
- Why women die in childbirth and how can Women Deliver without cash?
- Megyn Kelly questions Donald Trump for calling her a 'bimbo' – video
- Mount Washington summit staff tries to stand up to 109 mph winds – video
- Actor Robin Wright launches #StandWithCongo campaign – video
- The children trapped in Bangladesh's brothel village – video
| Split decision: Sanders nabs Oregon as Clinton claims Kentucky – as it happened Posted: 17 May 2016 09:19 PM PDT
We're going to wrap up our live coverage of the Kentucky and Oregon primaries. Here's what happened:
Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic primary in Oregon, the Associated Press projects. The call came within an hour of polling stations closing. I've never seen that before- CA crowd starts chanting "Bernie or Bust" repeatedly & holding signs that say the same. pic.twitter.com/m9qE8vcNcF Continue reading... |
| Russians expected to be among failed doping tests from 2008 Olympics Posted: 17 May 2016 09:59 AM PDT • Total of 31 new positives come from 12 countries and six different sports Russian athletes are expected to be among 31 individuals who could be banned from the Rio Olympics after their samples from the 2008 Beijing Games tested positive for prohibited substances, putting the country's participation in Brazil under further scrutiny. The International Olympic Committee has announced that 31 Olympians from 12 countries, spanning six sports, are set to be banned from competing at Rio after retrospective target testing on urine samples from 2008. Russia, found last year by the World Anti-Doping Agency to have been running a state-sponsored doping programme, is already at serious risk of having no track and field representation at the Olympics this summer, while the findings from 250 further retrospective tests from London 2012 will be released later this month. Continue reading... |
| UN/WHO panel in conflict of interest row over glyphosate cancer risk Posted: 17 May 2016 11:09 AM PDT Chairman of UN's joint meeting on pesticide residues co-runs scientific institute which received donation from Monsanto, which uses glyphosate A UN panel that on Tuesday ruled that glyphosate was probably not carcinogenic to humans has now become embroiled in a bitter row about potential conflicts of interests. It has emerged that an institute co-run by the chairman of the UN's joint meeting on pesticide residues (JMPR) received a six-figure donation from Monsanto, which uses the substance as a core ingredient in its bestselling Roundup weedkiller. Professor Alan Boobis, who chaired the UN's joint FAO/WHO meeting on glyphosate, also works as the vice-president of the International Life Science Institute (ILSI) Europe. The co-chair of the sessions was Professor Angelo Moretto, a board member of ILSI's Health and Environmental Services Institute, and of its Risk21 steering group too, which Boobis also co-chairs. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Syria: Vienna meeting agrees aid airdrops but fails to set date for talks Posted: 17 May 2016 10:51 AM PDT International Syria Support Group pledges airdrops of supplies to besieged areas, but failure to agree date underlines depth of divisions The US, Russia and other powers have pledged to use airdrops to deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians, but have failed to agree a date to resume stalled peace talks, underlining the depth of international divisions over the crisis. John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, chaired a meeting in Vienna of the International Syria Support Group, which promised to "solidify" an agreement reached in February on a cessation of hostilities. Continue reading... |
| Senate grants September 11 victims the right to sue Saudi Arabia Posted: 17 May 2016 03:48 PM PDT Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act gives victims' families the right to sue for any role the Saudi government may have played in the 2001 attacks The Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would allow families of September 11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia, rejecting the fierce objections of a US ally and setting Congress on a collision course with the Obama administration. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, approved by voice vote, had triggered a threat from Riyadh to pull billions of dollars from the US economy if the bill is enacted. Continue reading... |
| Mexico's president calls for nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage Posted: 17 May 2016 01:45 PM PDT President Enrique Peña Nieto reiterated commitment to combat discrimination in Mexico with an announcement on National Day Against Homophobia Mexico's president, Enrique Peña Nieto, has called for the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage, announcing that he had signed initiatives proposing that marriage equality be written into the country's constitution and federal civil code. Related: Anti-LGBT views still prevail, global survey finds Continue reading... |
| Berlin official condemns 'abhorrent and criminal' street attacks on women Posted: 17 May 2016 11:27 AM PDT Comments follow complaints by women alleging sexual harassment or assault during German capital's carnival of cultures Berlin's top security official has condemned incidents in which young women were groped or harassed by groups of men at a festival in the German capital. Police received seven complaints alleging sexual harassment or assault at the carnival of cultures, an annual festival that ran from Friday to Monday. Related: Cologne sexual assault case collapses Continue reading... |
| Potatoes four times a week could cause high blood pressure, says study Posted: 17 May 2016 03:30 PM PDT American study published in BMJ links higher intake of baked, boiled or mashed spuds and chips with raised risk of hypertension Everyone knows chips are a dietary no-no. But now experts are warning that eating too much of the humble potato in any form – baked, boiled or as mash – could potentially be bad for our health. Research claims that eating potatoes four times a week could be harmful and contribute to the condition that causes strokes and heart attacks, Britain's biggest killers. The study, reported in the BMJ, is the first to identify potatoes as a key source of hypertension, better known as high blood pressure. Continue reading... |
| Kenyan police launch inquiry over attack on man during protest Posted: 17 May 2016 10:49 AM PDT Video appears to shows three officers taking turns to hit and kick apparently unconscious man who later said he was not involved in demonstration Warning: this article contains images some readers may find upsetting Kenyan police have launched an internal investigation after graphic video footage of riot police beating and kicking an apparently unconscious man on the sidelines of an election protest caused outrage. In the latest of several protests by opposition activists who say their leader will be denied a fair chance at next year's election, police fired teargas and beat demonstrators with truncheons on Monday to stop them storming the offices of the electoral commission in Nairobi. Continue reading... |
| Muslim states block 11 LGBT groups from attending UN Aids meeting Posted: 17 May 2016 12:49 PM PDT US ambassador says move by Organization of Islamic Cooperation represents an 'epidemic and severely damages the credibility of the UN' A group of 51 Muslim states has blocked 11 gay and transgender organizations from attending a high-level meeting at the United Nations next month on ending Aids, sparking a protest by the US, Canada and the EU. Egypt wrote to the president of the 193-member general assembly on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to object to the participation of the 11 groups. It did not give a reason in the letter, which Reuters has seen. Continue reading... |
| Robin Wright targets Congo's 'conflict minerals' violence with new campaign Posted: 17 May 2016 04:18 AM PDT #StandWithCongo: the House of Cards actor says it is 'unacceptable' that smartphones and laptops still contain minerals mined in conflict-torn nation House of Cards star Robin Wright has launched a campaign with Congolese and American activists to end the pillage of Congo's vast mineral resources and break the cycle of devastating wars that have claimed more than five million lives. The campaign will target US tech companies and political leaders in an attempt to push for greater transparency in the mining of so-called "conflict minerals" such as coltan that have aggravated the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Wright has produced and narrated a new film, When Elephants Fight, to be shown in 50 university campuses around the US as part of what she and her fellow campaigners hope will become a movement for reform under the banner #StandWithCongo. Continue reading... |
| Interpol: increased border protection forces migrants to use people smugglers Posted: 17 May 2016 07:00 AM PDT Deals such as EU-Turkey agreement in spotlight as report says 90% of irregular journeys to Europe facilitated by smugglers Attempts to deter migrants from reaching Europe such as the EU-Turkey deal are likely to force people into the arms of smugglers, Interpol has said in a joint statement with the EU's law enforcement agency. More than 90% of recent irregular journeys to Europe were facilitated by smugglers, a figure that is likely to rise due to increased border protection, Interpol and Europol have concluded in a report on people smuggling. Continue reading... |
| Baghdad bombs kill dozens of civilians Posted: 17 May 2016 03:58 AM PDT Triple attacks in north and south of Iraqi capital leave more than 90 injured At least 63 people have been killed and more than 90 wounded in three bombings in Baghdad, police and medical sources said, following the bloodiest week of attacks in the Iraqi capital so far this year. In the deadliest attack, a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State (Isis) at a market in the northern district of al-Shaab, killed 38 people and wounded more than 70. Continue reading... |
| Rafsanjani daughter criticised for meeting leader of banned minority Posted: 17 May 2016 09:52 AM PDT Iranian hardliners call for arrest of Faezeh Hashemi, and her father describes Bahá'í faith as 'deviant' The daughter of a former president of Iran has been heavily criticised after she met one of the leaders of a persecuted religious minority. Faezeh Hashemi, a former MP and the daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, broke ranks with the ruling establishment last week when she went to visit Fariba Kamalabadi, who had been given five days' leave after eight years in jail. Continue reading... |
| Face recognition app taking Russia by storm may bring end to public anonymity Posted: 17 May 2016 01:39 AM PDT FindFace compares photos to profile pictures on social network Vkontakte and works out identities with 70% reliability If the founders of a new face recognition app get their way, anonymity in public could soon be a thing of the past. FindFace, launched two months ago and currently taking Russia by storm, allows users to photograph people in a crowd and work out their identities, with 70% reliability. It works by comparing photographs to profile pictures on Vkontakte, a social network popular in Russia and the former Soviet Union, with more than 200 million accounts. In future, the designers imagine a world where people walking past you on the street could find your social network profile by sneaking a photograph of you, and shops, advertisers and the police could pick your face out of crowds and track you down via social networks. |
| Farming is 'single biggest cause' of worst air pollution in Europe Posted: 17 May 2016 08:19 AM PDT Nitrogen compounds from fertilisers and animal waste drifting over industrial regions is combining to form fine particulate pollution, report finds Farming is the biggest single cause of the worst air pollution in Europe, a new study has found, as nitrogen compounds from fertilisers and animal waste drift over industrial regions. When the nitrogen compounds are mixed with air already polluted from industry, they combine to form solid particles that can stick in the fine lung tissue of children and adults, causing breathing difficulties, impaired lungs and heart function, and eventually even premature death. Continue reading... |
| Three Russian editors resign amid threats to press freedom Posted: 17 May 2016 09:17 AM PDT Departure of Yelizaveta Osetinskaya and her two close colleagues condemned by International Federation of Journalists Three senior editors have resigned from the leading Russian media group RBC in a further sign of official pressure on independent journalism. RBC said that the resignations on 13 May of editor-in-chief Yelizaveta Osetinskaya and her two close colleagues - newspaper editor Maxim Solyus and news agency editor Roman Badanin - were due to "differences regarding the media company's future". Continue reading... |
| Potential Hillary Clinton Pentagon chief calls for increased action against Isis Posted: 17 May 2016 10:13 AM PDT Michèle Flournoy, head of Center for a New American Security thinktank, announces agenda that some might consider a job application A security specialist tipped as the potential defence secretary in a Hillary Clinton administration has set out an agenda that confidently asserts American leadership in the world, backed by strong military force. Michèle Flournoy, cofounder and chief executive of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) thinktank, launched a report on Monday that some in Washington might be tempted to mischievously characterise as an 18-page job application. Continue reading... |
| France sets carbon price floor Posted: 17 May 2016 07:15 AM PDT 2017 finance bill will set price at €30 a tonne in a bid to stir European action to cut emissions and drive forward the Paris climate agreement France will set a carbon price floor of about €30 ($33.95) a tonne in its 2017 finance bill as the government seeks to kickstart broader European action to cut emissions and drive forward last year's landmark international climate accord. The French government said last month that it would unilaterally set a carbon price floor in the absence of a broader European initiative to strengthen carbon pricing, hoping the move will spur other countries to act. It did not, however, give an indication on pricing. Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump says he is open to talks with North Korea's Kim Jong-un Posted: 18 May 2016 12:36 AM PDT Republican candidate sets out foreign policy priorities: putting pressure on China, renegotiating Paris climate deal, and stopping countries 'ripping us off' Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he was willing to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, proposing a major shift in US policy toward the isolated nation. Related: No 10 makes plans for potentially awkward UK visit by Donald Trump Continue reading... |
| Australian election turns toxic with debate over 'illiterate and innumerate' refugees Posted: 18 May 2016 12:15 AM PDT Leaders at odds after minister says refugees would 'languish' on unemployment queues and take jobs An acrimonious debate over asylum seekers has taken centre stage in Australia's election campaign after the immigration minister warned that "illiterate and innumerate" refugees were likely to "languish" on unemployment queues and also "take Australian jobs". The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, backed Peter Dutton, saying he was "an outstanding immigration minister" because "for more than 600 days there has not been one successful people-smuggler operation bringing unauthorised arrivals to Australia". Continue reading... |
| Brawl breaks out in South African parliament – video Posted: 18 May 2016 12:09 AM PDT South Africa's parliamentary protection services forcibly remove members of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party from the chamber on Tuesday as they attempt to prevent an address by President Jacob Zuma. |
| Leicester City arrive in Thailand for a victory tour Posted: 17 May 2016 11:41 PM PDT A heroes' welcome in Bangkok for the 'Siamese Foxes' despite previous scandals over racism Thai-owned Premier League champions Leicester City have arrived in Bangkok for a celebratory tour and a royal visit. Most of the team and manager arrived at dawn in the Thai capital and are due to brave the tropical heat for an open-top bus ride through the centre on Thursday. They are also expected to visit the royal palace. Continue reading... |
| Story of cities #45: the death of Richard Nickel, guardian of Chicago's heritage Posted: 17 May 2016 11:30 PM PDT Photographer and activist Richard Nickel spent much of his life battling to preserve Chicago's diverse architecture. His death, while trying to save remnants of its Stock Exchange building, gave him 'an almost mythic status' in the city Richard Nickel was missing. The photographer and preservationist had told his friend to meet him at the partly demolished Chicago Stock Exchange building on 13 April 1972. But when Tim Samuelson arrived at what was left of the Lasalle Street structure, Nickel was nowhere to be found. "I was calling up to the window where I knew he'd be working," recalls Samuelson, who was standing in an alleyway next to the building. "But I never got any response." Continue reading... |
| Love’s runaways: the gay Ugandans forced into exile | Mark Gevisser Posted: 17 May 2016 10:00 PM PDT Banished from home and beaten, gay teenagers have sought refuge in Kenya. But instead of finding acceptance, they are treated with suspicion and contempt After my meeting with Michael Bashaija in July 2015, I dropped him on the Ngong Road to get a matatu (minibus) back to where he lived, outside the city, in a communal house with 20 other refugees. I watched him tuck his long braids back into his red beanie and marshal his slight frame – which looked even skinnier in his tight green jeans – into the more masculine step of the street. He arranged his eloquent features into a blank rictus and disappeared into the rush-hour throng. If asked a question by someone else in the matatu he would try to mutter something in Swahili, he told me, even though this was a language he still barely spoke. If he answered in English, he would be identified as a foreigner. If it was a policeman, he might be asked to show his papers. And that is "when the trouble will begin", he said. "There's no war in Uganda, so when someone sees that I am asylum seeker here, they know there can only be one reason." Continue reading... |
| North Korea offers friendship with one hand, abuse with the other Posted: 17 May 2016 07:19 AM PDT Pyongyang says nuclear programme has given it the upper hand and predicts re-unification despite Seoul's 'agitation' North Korea has announced it is reaching out a "warm helping hand" to its sworn enemy in the south, suggesting that the success of its nuclear weapons programme means re-unification between the two Koreas in close at hand. Pyongyang issued a statement on Tuesday saying it is ready to discuss South Korea's suggestions to reunify the peninsula "with an open mind". Continue reading... |
| Train conductors' strike causes travel chaos on Southern services Posted: 18 May 2016 12:31 AM PDT RMT union claims 'solid' support for 24-hour walkout, with Southern expected to run two-thirds of its 2,100 services A strike by hundreds of train conductors is being "solidly" supported, causing travel chaos for passengers. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at Southern Railway are staging a 24-hour walkout in a bitter row over the role of conductors. Continue reading... |
| Enough hysteria over the migration crisis. It's time to get rational – video Posted: 17 May 2016 11:00 PM PDT With wars raging across the globe, argues the Guardian's migration correspondent, Patrick Kingsley, it is impractical to try and stop people coming to Europe. Our best option is to resettle hundreds of thousands of migrants in Europe
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| The Gaza blockade is hitting the most vulnerable hardest | Philippa Whitford Posted: 18 May 2016 12:30 AM PDT My return to the territory as a cancer surgeon revealed women struggling to access vital treatment. And the international community has turned away Twenty-five years ago, during the first intifada, I was working as a volunteer surgeon with Medical Aid for Palestinians in al-Ahli hospital in Gaza when the Madrid peace conference led to the Oslo agreement and the supposed roadmap to peace between Israel and Palestine. I returned to Palestine a few weeks ago in my capacity as a breast cancer surgeon. As well as assisting at clinics, performing operations and running teaching workshops in east Jerusalem, I visited Gaza to assess the challenges faced by cancer patients there. I found a population running desperately low on resilience and hope for the future, who feel forgotten by the international community. Continue reading... |
| The moment Bernie Sanders finds out he's won Oregon primary – video Posted: 18 May 2016 12:27 AM PDT Bernie Sanders hears about his victory in Oregon during a rally in California on Tuesday night. During a moment of applause, Sanders' wife tell the senator about his success. He then announces, "my wife just tells me that CNN has called Oregon for Bernie Sanders" Continue reading... |
| Posted: 18 May 2016 12:36 AM PDT Malcolm Turnbull questioned over immigration minister's claims 'illiterate' refugees are taking Australian jobs. Follow all the updates on day 10 of the campaign
Well, I think that's all I can give to campaign Wednesday, with all the usual thanks to colleagues and salutations to the readers.
Readers with me all day know that earlier on, I was conversing with the Liberal party's pollster, Mark Textor, about Peter Dutton, and whether not he went too far. Textor didn't answer my question until now. Here's the answer: no, the immigration minister did not go too far. @marcuskelson @BenDohertyCorro @KKeneally @murpharoo no. he didn't go to far Continue reading... |
| Sri Lanka: hundreds of families missing after landslide buries three villages Posted: 17 May 2016 09:47 PM PDT The nation's worst torrential rains for six years have forced tens of thousands from their homes Rescuers in Sri Lanka have started the grim task of looking for more than 200 families missing following a massive landslide in remote Aranayake area, on the slopes of the Central Hills. The Sri Lankan Red Cross said that the landslide, which struck during the night on 17 May, buried three villages following heavy rains over the last three days. Continue reading... |
| Refugees will repay EU spending almost twice over in five years - report Posted: 17 May 2016 09:01 PM PDT Investigation into impact of refugees in Europe finds rising public debt will be offset by a much greater rise in GDP Refugees who arrived in Europe last year could repay spending on them almost twice over within just five years, according to one of the first in-depth investigations into the impact incomers have on host communities. Refugees will create more jobs, increase demand for services and products, and fill gaps in European workforces – while their wages will help fund dwindling pensions pots and public finances, says Philippe Legrain, a former economic adviser to the president of the European commission. Continue reading... |
| Japan dodges recession with 0.4% growth in first quarter Posted: 17 May 2016 08:32 PM PDT But little sign that Abenomics is bringing about a sustained improvement in the economy Japan sidestepped a recession with annualised growth of 1.7% in the first quarter of 2016, preliminary data showed on Wednesday. But the reading underscored how the drive for a firm recovery in the world's number three economy is not gaining traction. The improvement in the country's gross domestic product between January and March at a quarterly rate of 0.4% came after a contraction in the last three months of 2015. A consumer spending rebound helped drive the better-than-expected figures but the leap year added another day of production – and spending – to the economy's performance. Continue reading... |
| Alberta wildfire destroys oil sands work camp as 8,000 staff are evacuated Posted: 17 May 2016 07:28 PM PDT Situation worsens for oil production sites north of Fort McMurray, while explosions in city itself highlight uncertainty over when it will be safe to return The wildfire raging through northern Alberta has swelled in size and surged north of Fort McMurray, consuming an evacuated oil sands camp on Tuesday and threatening several other facilities in the region. "It continues to burn out of control," said Rachel Notley, the Alberta premier, one day after the shifting fire forced the evacuation of 8,000 non-essential staff from more than a dozen camps and sites in the oil sands region. Continue reading... |
| Australian charity worker killed defusing Isis bomb in Iraq Posted: 17 May 2016 05:59 PM PDT Man was working for landmine clearance organisation Swiss Foundation for Mine Action in Daquq when he was killed An Australian working for a landmine clearance charity has been killed in northern Iraq while trying to defuse a bomb planted by Islamic State militants, three of his colleagues said. The man was working under the non-profit Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) in the Daquq area, around 120 miles (200km) north of Baghdad. Isis was driven out of Daquq last year but left behind hundreds of improvised explosive devices. Continue reading... |
| Brawl erupts in South African parliament as opposition party ejected Posted: 17 May 2016 05:50 PM PDT Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters party wrestled out of their seats by guards after they refused to let president Jacob Zuma speak A fistfight broke out in the South African parliament on Tuesday as security guards ejected opposition lawmakers in an ugly fracas that underlined heightened political tensions over Jacob Zuma's presidency. About 20 Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party members, who were wrestled from their seats by plain-clothed guards, had refused to let Zuma speak and furiously shouted down the Speaker, Baleka Mbete. Continue reading... |
| Senate approves $1.1bn for Zika fight but House alternative bill provides far less Posted: 17 May 2016 02:37 PM PDT The Obama administration, backed by Senator Marco Rubio, had asked for the $1.9bn experts sought to fight the mosquito-borne virus that causes birth defects The US Senate on Tuesday took a step toward funding the Obama administration's efforts to combat the Zika virus, but paved the way for a showdown with the House of Representatives, where Republicans are pushing for a substantially lower financial package. Related: How the Zika virus causes birth defects Continue reading... |
| RAF fighters intercept Russian jets near Estonia for second time in a week Posted: 17 May 2016 01:22 PM PDT Typhoons met fighters and reconnaissance aircraft north of Estonia, MoD said, after jets joined Baltic air policing mission last month Royal Air Force fighters have intercepted Russian jets approaching Estonia for the second time in a week, the Ministry of Defence said. The Typhoons were scrambled to meet five unidentified aircraft in international airspace near the Baltic state's borders on Tuesday. They shadowed two Su-27 Flanker fighters and an IL-20 Coot-A reconnaissance aircraft north of Estonia before two more Su-27s were detected and met, the MoD said. A spokesman said the Russian aircraft "were operating without transmitting recognised identification codes, nor were they communicating with regional air traffic control centres". Continue reading... |
| What's it like to be LGBTI where you live? Share your experiences Posted: 17 May 2016 11:29 AM PDT We'd like you to share your experiences of being LGBTI where you live, including discrimination you've felt to any progress your country has made Two-thirds of adults would be upset if their child told them that they were in love with someone of the same sex, according to a survey of 96,000 people in 53 UN member states conducted by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). The report found that same-sex sexual acts can be punished with the death penalty in 13 states, while the threat of imprisonment exists in 75 countries and five entities. Many residents of those countries believe that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) should be criminalised, with 45% of respondents in Africa agreeing to the statement that "being LGBTI should be considered a crime". Thirty-four per cent of respondents in Asia, 17% in Europe, 15% in the Americas and 14% in Oceania also agreed with the statement. Continue reading... |
| Abortion rate in England and Wales hits five-year high Posted: 17 May 2016 11:10 AM PDT Growing numbers of women in their 30s and 40s are terminating a pregnancy, official figures show The number of abortions carried out in England and Wales last year was the highest in five years, driven by growing numbers of women in their 30s and 40s who are terminating a pregnancy, official figures show. More women are having multiple abortions, according to the annual statistics released by the Department of Health. Almost four in 10 terminations are now carried out on women who have undergone the procedure before. Fifty women had each had eight terminations, the figures revealed. Continue reading... |
| Kenyan police officers beat protester – video Posted: 17 May 2016 06:46 AM PDT Footage from NTV Kenya appears to show officers hitting and kicking an unconscious man. Police were trying to stop demonstrators from storming the offices of the electoral commission in Nairobi. There are unconfirmed reports in local media that the man in the video later died from his injuries Continue reading... |
| Russian rocket blasts off from new Vostochny spaceport – onboard camera video footage Posted: 17 May 2016 06:39 AM PDT Newly released onboard footage shows a Russian rocket blasting off from a new space port, as it carries three satellites into orbit. The rocket, a Soyuz-2.1, is the first to launch from Russia's new space port, the Vostochny cosmodrome Continue reading... |
| Blackouts, looting and murder: Venezuela's state of emergency – video explainer Posted: 17 May 2016 04:39 AM PDT Power cuts, food shortages and rising violent crime are contributing to an economic and political crisis in Venezuela that has left its embattled president Nicolás Maduro with ever-decreasing options. For a country reliant on oil revenues, the lengthy global oil price crash has been catastrophic. Maduro blames private 'bigwigs' and threatens to take control of idle factories
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| The first 50 lashes: a Saudi activist's wife endures her husband’s brutal sentence Posted: 17 May 2016 04:30 AM PDT After Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was arrested and sentenced to prison and 1,000 lashes, Ensaf Haidar wondered what to say when the person you love tells you that he's going to be abused in the most horrible way Ensaf Haidar fled to Canada from Saudi Arabia in 2014 after her husband Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger, was arrested and subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for allegedly "insulting Islam through electronic channels". Here, in an excerpt from her new book, Raif Badawi, The Voice of Freedom: My Husband, Our Story' (Other Press), she describes learning that his sentence would begin, and how she told her children of their father's fate. The new year began with an act of violence. On 7 January 2015, two masked men stormed the editorial offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris and shot 11 journalists. |
| Islam and Christianity share 'idea of conquest', says Pope Francis Posted: 17 May 2016 04:08 AM PDT Pontiff condemns 'ghettoisation' of migrants and hails Sadiq Khan's election as first Muslim mayor of London Islam and Christianity share an inherent "idea of conquest", and those who refer to Europe's roots as Christian often veer into colonialism, Pope Francis said in a wideranging interview about the the migration crisis and the ability of Christians and Muslims to live together harmoniously. Speaking to the French Catholic newspaper La Croix, the Argentinian pope also hailed the election of Sadiq Khan in London, saying that a Muslim mayor personified the idea of integration within Europe. Continue reading... |
| Toxic 'red tide' in Chile prompts investigation of salmon farming Posted: 17 May 2016 03:45 AM PDT Algal bloom 'of biblical proportions' has led to protests and health emergency as concerns raised over dumping of rotting salmon in ocean Chilean authorities are investigating the country's salmon-farming industry after an algal bloom carrying a virulent neurotoxin spread for hundreds of miles along the rugged coastline of Patagonia, triggering a health emergency and angry protests by fishermen. The huge "red tide" has grown rapidly over recent weeks, in what has been described as the country's worst environmental crisis in recent years: dozens of people have been poisoned by the algal bloom which makes seafood toxic and has deprived thousands of fishermen of a living. Continue reading... |
| York Minster criticised for allowing Buddhist meditation Posted: 17 May 2016 03:39 AM PDT Canon allows sessions as they are about wellbeing not doctrine, but Christian group says Zen teachings incompatible with Bible York Minster has come under fire from conservative Christian evangelicals for permitting the practice of Zen Buddhism within the medieval cathedral precinct. John Sentamu, the archbishop of York, was urged to take swift action to close down the fortnightly sessions of silent meditation on the grounds that Buddhism is incompatible with Christianity. |
| Immigrant deaths expose 'legal black hole' of Canada's detention system Posted: 17 May 2016 03:30 AM PDT The death of 39-year-old Francisco Javier Romero Astorga while in custody of the Canada Border Services Agency is just the latest example of a system in need of repair, as activists clamor for independent oversight It was a plan that was months in the making. Francisco Javier Romero Astorga dreamed of leaving his home in Chile and starting a new life in Canada, one that would perhaps revolve around his love of music or cooking. But three months after he left the seaside city of Viña del Mar for a fresh start in Toronto, the 39-year-old disappeared. Continue reading... |
| Roman treasures discovered off Israeli coast – video Posted: 17 May 2016 01:43 AM PDT Thousands of Roman coins and several bronze statues are among artifacts discovered by two divers off the coast of Israel. The objects came from a merchant ship that sank near the port of Caesarea 1,600 years ago during the late Roman period. Underwater footage shows divers digging out clumps of coins buried in the sand. 'All the cargo was completely under the sand. That's why it's preserved so well,' said Jacob Sharvi from the Israel Antiquities Authority Continue reading... |
| Japan's coal-fired plants 'to cause thousands of early deaths' Posted: 17 May 2016 01:32 AM PDT Greenpeace slams 'insane' plan for dozens of power plants, with huge implications for air quality and climate change Plans by Japan to build dozens of coal-fired power stations will cause at least 10,000 premature deaths, according to a study, as the country struggles to fulfil its climate change obligations five years after the Fukushima disaster closed down almost all of its nuclear plants. Greenpeace and the environmental group Kiko Network said in a joint report that Japan's determination to press ahead with a massive expansion in fossil fuel-based power production, with at least 43 plants to be built over the next 12 years, would come at a price to human health and "lock in carbon emissions for decades". Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Superblocks to the rescue: Barcelona’s plan to give streets back to residents Posted: 17 May 2016 03:37 AM PDT The Catalan capital's radical new strategy will restrict traffic to a number of big roads, drastically reducing pollution and turning secondary streets into 'citizen spaces' for culture, leisure and the community In the latest attempt from a big city to move away from car hegemony, Barcelona has ambitious plans. Currently faced with excessive pollution and noise levels, the city has come up with a new mobility plan to reduce traffic by 21%. And it comes with something extra: freeing up nearly 60% of streets currently used by cars to turn them into so-called "citizen spaces". The plan is based around the idea of superilles (superblocks) – mini neighbourhoods around which traffic will flow, and in which spaces will be repurposed to "fill our city with life", as its tagline says. This plan will start in the famous gridded neighbourhood of Eixample. That revolutionary design, engineered by Ildefons Cerdà in the late 19th century, had at its core the idea that the city should breathe and – for both ideological and public health reasons – planned for the population to be spread out equally, as well as providing green spaces within each block. Reality and urban development have, however, got the best of it, and as the grid lines became choked with cars, the city's pollution and noise levels have skyrocketed. What was once a design to make Barcelona healthier, now has to be dramatically rethought for the same reasons. Continue reading... |
| 'I just got trapped': Nepal tries to expand girls' horizons beyond marriage Posted: 17 May 2016 09:00 PM PDT Child marriage in Nepal is denying girls education and the country a boost in GDP, but the government is slowly challenging the status quo Sajita Tamang was 14 when she got married. She says love had nothing to do with it. Now 17, Sajita recalls tearfully the pressure put on her by two women from her village to meet a man in the forest one day after school. Continue reading... |
| Gates Foundation commits $80m to plugging gender equality data gap Posted: 17 May 2016 07:39 AM PDT Fund announced at Women Deliver conference will support national statistics offices to collect information on the contribution women make to society The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is committing $80m (£55m) to help plug the gaps in data on women and girls that is needed to meet the UN target of achieving gender equality by 2030. The money, announced on Tuesday and to be distributed over the next three years, will support national statistics offices to collect and refine reliable information on the contribution women and girls make to society and the barriers they face in fulfilling their potential. Specific areas that need more data include the amount of unpaid work women carry out in the home and gender-based violence, often regarded as too difficult to collect. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'We can’t keep looking at women as body parts or diseases', says Women Deliver CEO Posted: 17 May 2016 03:20 AM PDT Conference in Copenhagen launches Deliver for Good campaign to highlight crucial areas for gender equality, including improving access to technology A new global campaign that makes the case for investing in women and girls was launched on the opening day of the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen on Monday. The Deliver for Good campaign highlights 12 critical areas that, with greater investment, could improve the lives of women and girls and speed up efforts to achieve gender equality. Continue reading... |
| Why women die in childbirth and how can Women Deliver without cash? Posted: 17 May 2016 02:04 AM PDT Our animated video explores why so many women still die in childbirth. Plus, grassroots women's rights organisations are missing out on funding. If you are viewing this on the web and would prefer to get it in your inbox every two weeks, register for the email edition Why do women still die in childbirth? It is partly a matter of healthcare provision in poorer countries and global policy, but it is also a matter of rights. Actor Emily Watson explains. Global leaders and campaigners are in Copenhagen this week to discuss how to transform rhetoric on women's rights into reality. The Women Deliver conference is focussing on how to achieve global goals on gender equality, sexual and reproductive health rights and maternal health. But it is taking place in the shadow of funding shortfalls for groups dedicated to this work, including the UN agency responsible for reducing maternal mortality rates, which faces a £98m shortfall. Continue reading... |
| Megyn Kelly questions Donald Trump for calling her a 'bimbo' – video Posted: 17 May 2016 08:18 PM PDT Republican candidate Donald Trump is interviewed by Megyn Kelly on a Fox Broadcast Network special, Megyn Kelly Presents, following the presidential candidate's repeated attacks on the Fox News reporter through social media. Kelly questioned Trump over his repeated references to her as a 'bimbo'.
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| Mount Washington summit staff tries to stand up to 109 mph winds – video Posted: 17 May 2016 12:02 PM PDT A staff member from the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire was filmed battling winds of more than 100 mph on the summit of the mountain earlier this week. New England was hit on Monday by a record spring snowstorm, which brought high winds and several inches of snow to the area Continue reading... |
| Actor Robin Wright launches #StandWithCongo campaign – video Posted: 17 May 2016 04:18 AM PDT Actor Robin Wright sits down with the Guardian's Ed Pilkington to discuss her new documentary, When Elephants Fight. The film draws links between the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the mining of so-called 'conflict minerals' such as coltan that continue to spark war in the region. Overall, the country is estimated to have $24tn of minerals under its soil. Yet despite such enormous natural wealth, the country remains one of the most destitute in the world, with one in seven children dying before the age of five, according to Unicef. Wright and her co-producer, JD Stier, are launching a new campaign called #StandWithCongo in hopes of creating a new movement for reform in the region Continue reading... |
| The children trapped in Bangladesh's brothel village – video Posted: 17 May 2016 01:21 AM PDT Daulatdia is an entire village in Bangladesh dedicated to prostitution. Every day, 1,600 trafficked, enslaved and abandoned women and girls sell themselves for £2 a time. In the midst of the trade live 300 children, many born in the village. Some will be groomed to be the future of the business like their mothers and grandmothers. With education programmes and support provided by Save The Children, a few may find their way out
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