World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- EU will only extend article 50 if there is 'stable majority' in UK for Brexit outcome, Barnier suggests - Politics live
- Senate to vote on pair of bills that could end government shutdown
- 'I'm being watched': Anne-Marie Brady, the China critic living in fear of Beijing
- Naomi Osaka sponsor apologises for 'whitewashing' tennis star in ad
- Emiliano Sala: rescuers consider possibility footballer reached life raft
- Woman who defied Indian temple ban 'shunned' by family
- Hong Kong: bill seeks to make insulting Chinese anthem a crime
- UK has biggest fossil fuel subsidies in the EU, finds commission
- Davos 2019: Liam Fox denies being at WEF to drink champagne - live
- MPs pass counter-terror bill amendments to protect aid workers
- Celebrity social media influencers pledge to change way they post
- Which is the world's most LGBT-friendly city?
- Inside China's leading 'sponge city': Wuhan's war with water
- In the digital age, how much longer can Spain's street kiosks survive?
- Faking it: how selfie dysmorphia is driving people to seek surgery
- UK weather: warning of ice as temperatures fall further
- Deaths of Saudi sisters found bound together in New York river ruled suicide
- Aya Nakamura: afropop's reluctant face of empowerment
- How elite US schools give preference to wealthy and white 'legacy' applicants
- Brazil's government reveals plans to privatize key shipping route
- How tobacco industry donations cloud debates over cigarette controls
- Water crisis: western NSW mayors travel to Sydney to demand help
- Tired of dark fields and jeering men: the bride who led a 'toilet revolution' | Amrit Dhillon
- Record private jet flights into Davos as leaders arrive for climate talk
- Factory that supplied Tesco compensated abused worker
- Mike Pence backs Venezuelan protesters seeking to oust President Nicolás Maduro – video
- 'When to Ambae?' Volcano-hit islanders long for home – in pictures
- Jair Bolsonaro says he will ‘open up’ Brazil’s economy in pro-business speech at Davos – video
| Posted: 23 Jan 2019 02:50 AM PST Rolling coverage of the day's political developments as they happen
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, has given an intriguing interview to the Luxembourg Times. Here are the main points. If the UK government wants to be more ambitious in its future relationship which is not part of the withdrawal agreement, we can do so, and then come to an agreement on the entire package. That would make the question of the backstop less prominent. Looking at it objectively, I have the impression that the backstop is not the central issue. Ultimately, the debate in Britain is about what the future of the UK will look like. I believe that we can overcome the current difficulties when we discuss that issue together. We're cooperating with the British government. Things could start moving rapidly. This depends on the future relationship, like I already said. We are ready to be more ambitious if the British decide to shift their red lines, for example by remaining in a customs union, or participating in the single market. I believe there is a readiness in London for that. If Britain asks for an extension, it has to be approved by EU leaders. They will only agree if three questions are answered: first and second, why and how long? And third, will not that be a problem for holding the EU elections in May? I have no clear legal answer to the third question yet. It is important that the EU's democratic processes are not disturbed by this, however. The first two questions are complex and interconnected: it needs a stable majority in London for all laws related to Brexit that need to be adopted. This will need time. There will be checks in case of a no-deal-Brexit. We will do everything possible to enforce them unobtrusively. However, that will not be possible with everything. How should we control animals crossing the border? There will have to be checks. Again, the problem arose from Brexit and we expect the UK to take responsibility. The backstop is like an insurance. It is not there to be used. And if so, only provisionally. However, we cannot tie the backstop to a time limit. This is a pan-European problem because it is to do with the integrity of the European single market. A product that enters the market in Northern Ireland and then Ireland will find itself in the European market and could continue to travel to Luxembourg. Here we have an obligation to protect European consumers and businesses and therefore we have to control these goods.
Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon is meeting Theresa May, along with the Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford, later today for further Brexit talks, but it's fair to say that no one is expecting the conversation to be particularly constructive. In advance of the meeting, Sturgeon warned May to "stop blaming everybody else" for the worse political crisis in decades, and "start listening". Theresa May's current strategy is to rule out the possible – extending the article 50 period – while pursuing the impossible – changes to the backstop. At today's meeting I will be making clear to the prime minister that it is she who needs to change her position – not everybody else. The time has come for the Brexit clock to be stopped, through a formal extension of article 50 to allow a second referendum on EU membership to be held. We simply cannot afford to be dragged any closer to the cliff edge of No-deal – an outcome which should now be explicitly and definitively ruled out. Continue reading... |
| Senate to vote on pair of bills that could end government shutdown Posted: 22 Jan 2019 02:11 PM PST Republican-backed measure would meet Trump's wall demand while the second would extend funding for closed agencies The Senate will vote on Thursday on a pair of bills that could end the month-long partial shutdown of the federal government– if passed. The first bill, a Republican-backed measure, would meet Donald Trump's demand for a $5.7bn wall along the southern border in exchange for temporary protections for young undocumented immigrants. The second would extend funding for the agencies that are currently closed through to 8 February. Continue reading... |
| 'I'm being watched': Anne-Marie Brady, the China critic living in fear of Beijing Posted: 22 Jan 2019 05:41 PM PST New Zealand academic says Chinese intimidation tactics she has studied are now being used against her It's just gone midday at Canterbury University and Professor Anne-Marie Brady is rock-hopping across a crystal clear stream. The life-long academic takes an overgrown bush track to reach the Okeover community gardens, her eyes scanning the sky for native birds. It's the height of summer in Christchurch and the garden is filled with rhubarb plants, clumps of chewy spinach and spring onions whose tips have turned white in the sun. Continue reading... |
| Naomi Osaka sponsor apologises for 'whitewashing' tennis star in ad Posted: 22 Jan 2019 08:20 PM PST Noodle company Nissin says it will 'pay more attention to diversity issues in the future' One of Naomi Osaka's sponsors has been forced to apologise after depicting the Japanese tennis star, who is half-Haitian, with pale skin in an advertisement. Nissin featured Osaka in an ad for its Cup Noodle range of instant ramen. It depicts Osaka, who holds dual Japanese and American citizenship, with pale skin, wavy brown hair and Caucasian facial features. Continue reading... |
| Emiliano Sala: rescuers consider possibility footballer reached life raft Posted: 23 Jan 2019 02:57 AM PST
Rescuers searching for the missing footballer Emiliano Sala are basing the operation on the premise that he may have made it into a life raft after the plane he was in went missing over the English Channel. Guernsey police spelled out on Wednesday morning they were working on four possibilities: Continue reading... |
| Woman who defied Indian temple ban 'shunned' by family Posted: 23 Jan 2019 12:39 AM PST Kanakadurga, 39, allegedly beaten and ousted from home for entering Sabarimala shrine A woman who defied violent protests to worship at a centuries-old south Indian shrine that banned females of "menstruating age" has been spurned by her family, attacked by relatives and locked out of her home. On New Year's Day, Kanakadurga, 39, along with Bindu Ammini, became the first women to enter the inner sanctum of Kerala state's Sabarimala temple, one of the country's holiest Hindu sites. Continue reading... |
| Hong Kong: bill seeks to make insulting Chinese anthem a crime Posted: 22 Jan 2019 06:35 PM PST Those breaking the rule could be jailed for up to three years and fined under proposed legislation Hong Kong is set to introduce a controversial bill on Wednesday that would make disrespecting the Chinese national anthem a crime punishable by up to three years in prison, raising fresh fears about freedom of expression in the city. Chinese authorities have sought to instil greater patriotism in the former British colony at a time of heightened tension between democracy activists and forces loyal to Beijing, with some in Hong Kong advocating independence from China. Continue reading... |
| UK has biggest fossil fuel subsidies in the EU, finds commission Posted: 22 Jan 2019 10:00 PM PST Subsidies for coal, oil and gas are not falling despite EU pledges to tackle climate change The UK leads the European Union in giving subsidies to fossil fuels, according to a report from the European commission. It found €12bn (£10.5bn) a year in support for fossil fuels in the UK, significantly more than the €8.3bn spent on renewable energy. The commission report warned that the total subsidies for coal, oil and gas across the EU remained at the same level as 2008. This is despite both the EU and G20 having long pledged to phase out the subsidies, which hamper the rapid transition to clean energy needed to fight climate change. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Davos 2019: Liam Fox denies being at WEF to drink champagne - live Posted: 23 Jan 2019 02:46 AM PST Rolling coverage of the second day of the World Economic Forum, as Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel and Wang Qishan all speak, and Prince William discusses mental health
He says to applause: May I now solemnly declare that defeatism about Japan is now defeated. Let there be hope and optimism for the future, providing reassurance that it is possible to achieve a hope-driven economy. As always, at that summit we're going to discuss a range of issues. But today I'll focus on two big issues - only two. First off: data governance. It will be data driving our economy forward. We had better act now. A delay of one year will be light years behind. Data must be the great gap buster. It will bring about a new reality for humanity. Our cities will be made much more liveable for all sorts of people, from all walks of life. The engine for growth will be fuelled more and more by digital data, not gasoline.
Out of every 100 college graduates looking to work, 98 find employment - a record number, Abe says. Wages have risen 2% year on year. As a result, during my six years in office, GDP has grown by 10.9%, adding $490bn. In order to make growth long lasting, we are encouraging investment which will enhance productivity. We are inviting skilled workers to Japan from abroad. It will go up further as we are going to expand our free education from October this year. We are not widening the gap, we are narrowing it. Despair was wiped out by hope. Hope, ladies and gentlemen is the most important thing for growth. |
| MPs pass counter-terror bill amendments to protect aid workers Posted: 22 Jan 2019 11:00 PM PST Move follows calls to exempt people working in conflict zones from bill that would make it an offence to visit terror hotspots MPs have passed amendments to the government's latest counter-terrorism bill to try to protect British aid workers and journalists from facing criminal charges in conflict zones. The controversial draft bill, aimed at tackling Isis fighters travelling abroad, allows the home secretary to declare somewhere a "designated area" and make it an offence for UK nationals and residents to be there. The bill orginally allowed individuals – including humanitarian workers, journalists and academics – to be investigated by the police and ultimately face 10 years in prison. Continue reading... |
| Celebrity social media influencers pledge to change way they post Posted: 23 Jan 2019 12:02 AM PST Clampdown on stars being paid for endorsing products without disclosing firm rewards them More than a dozen celebrities, including Alexa Chung and Ellie Goulding, have pledged to change the way they label social media posts after Britain's competition watchdog clamped down on the practice of stars being paid for endorsing products without disclosing they were being rewarded by the company. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had secured formal commitments from 16 celebrities to state clearly if they have been paid or received any gifts or loans of products that they endorse. Continue reading... |
| Which is the world's most LGBT-friendly city? Posted: 23 Jan 2019 03:00 AM PST Even when cities seem progressive on the surface, the lived experience of members of the LGBT community can tell a dramatically different story Amid a mass of colour and pounding Latin rhythms, revellers at this year's Bogotá Pride march waved banners stating "not one step back". They were among tens of thousands who took to the streets to celebrate and support Colombia's LGBT community. Many annual Pride marches that were once solemn protests against repression have become celebrations of now-existing rights or progress, reflecting the strength of LGBT communities. Continue reading... |
| Inside China's leading 'sponge city': Wuhan's war with water Posted: 22 Jan 2019 11:30 PM PST The next 15 megacities #9: Known as 'the city of a hundred lakes' until most got paved over, Wuhan has a flooding problem. Can permeable pavements and artificial wetlands soak it up? Take a stroll down the central Chinese city's Fan Lake Road or Fruit Lake Street and despite their names you won't see any large bodies of water – unless it has been raining very hard, that is. Wuhan was once known as "the city of a hundred lakes". It had 127 lakes in its central area alone in the 1980s, but decades of rapid urbanisation mean only around 30 survive. Continue reading... |
| In the digital age, how much longer can Spain's street kiosks survive? Posted: 22 Jan 2019 03:00 AM PST As newsprint sales fall and tourists demand keychains, the city of Barcelona is trying to keep alive the old social culture that revolves around street kiosks For generations, the day in Spain has begun with picking up the paper from the newspaper kiosk and then reading it over breakfast in a bar. These two urban institutions – the kiosk and the bar – have been the twin pillars of any barrio, or neighbourhood. "You have a close relationship with your clients," says Máximo Frutos, who owns a kiosk and is vice-president of the city's news vendors association. "I have copies of the house keys for around 15 people in the barrio, in case they lose theirs. It's not like any other business." Continue reading... |
| Faking it: how selfie dysmorphia is driving people to seek surgery Posted: 22 Jan 2019 10:00 PM PST Filters have never been more prevalent – and it's leading some people to have fillers, Botox and other procedures. What's behind the obsessive pursuit of a flawless look? People used to call Anika the Snap Queen. Between the ages of 19 and 21, she was "obsessed with Snapchat, to the point where I had 4,000 followers". At the peak of her "tragic" behaviour, she reckons now – a year after quitting the image-sharing app – she was taking 25 selfies a day. She liked the sense of having a platform, she says, with the average selfie getting 300 replies. "It was like, 'Oh my God, I'm so popular – I've gotta show my face.'" But the filters were also part of the appeal. The Londoner had long been insecure about the slight bump in her nose. Snapchat's fun effects, which let you embellish your selfies with dog ears, flower crowns and the like, would also erase the bump entirely. "I'd think, 'I'd like to look how I look with this filter that makes my nose look slimmer.'" Continue reading... |
| UK weather: warning of ice as temperatures fall further Posted: 23 Jan 2019 02:58 AM PST Met Office issues severe weather alert over icy roads and pavements after snow and sleet showers hit the UK The Met Office has warned that the weather is expected to get even colder across the UK following Tuesday's snow and sleet showers. Wednesday is forecast to be the chilliest day of the week, with northern areas experiencing temperatures of -2C (28F). As well as icy stretches and widespread frost in the morning, the Met Office forecasts sunny spells, particularly through the central spine of the UK. Coastal areas can expect more snow and sleet showers throughout the day. Continue reading... |
| Deaths of Saudi sisters found bound together in New York river ruled suicide Posted: 22 Jan 2019 03:47 PM PST Bodies of Rotana Farea and Tala Farea were found taped together, lying on rocks along the river last October The tragic and mysterious death of two Saudi Arabian sisters whose bodies were found, taped together, along New York City's waterfront last October appears to have been a double suicide. Rotana and Tala Farea both drowned and the cause of death was suicide, New York medical examiner Barbara Sampson said in a brief report on Tuesday evening. Continue reading... |
| Aya Nakamura: afropop's reluctant face of empowerment Posted: 23 Jan 2019 02:00 AM PST Her songs have been hailed as anthems against sexual violence, but the French star insists she has more personal goals in sight With its sweet melody over a beat made for couples' dancing, Aya Nakamura's track Djadja sounds, to anglophone ears, like a love song. With the video fast approaching 300m views on YouTube, this catchy afropop song made Nakamura's the queen of the French urban music scene last year. But while the 23-year-old's voice playfully switches between singing and soft rap, the bittersweet track finds Nakamura calling out a guy who has been lying about having sex with her. "You think about me while I think about making money," she sings (in French), witheringly. "I'm not your mother / I'm not going to lecture you." The song has been hailed as an anthem for female empowerment and taken on a life of its own: Nakamura's image was used on posters during recent French protests confronting violence against women. Yet the singer is equivocal about the reaction. "It's cool to be able to represent black women in France," she says, "but I have my own way of being, my own way of doing things. There's a problem when people say, 'You're the only black woman representing' – there are others too." Continue reading... |
| How elite US schools give preference to wealthy and white 'legacy' applicants Posted: 23 Jan 2019 03:00 AM PST A lawsuit focused on race-conscious admissions at Harvard has added fuel to a fiery debate about wealth and privilege at elite institutions When Andrea Bian applied to college last year, she made a difficult decision: she chose not to talk about her race, fearing that it would hurt her chances of admission. Bian is of Chinese descent, and she knew that at many US colleges, Asian-American applicants are accepted at lower rates than others with the same grades and test scores. She was ultimately admitted to Northwestern University, where she now studies journalism. Continue reading... |
| Brazil's government reveals plans to privatize key shipping route Posted: 22 Jan 2019 10:00 PM PST Jair Bolsonaro plans to overhaul country's transportation infrastructure despite concerns of increased deforestation on the Trans-Amazonian highway Brazil's new government has unveiled plans to privatize the Trans-Amazonian Highway, in a fresh attempt to complete – and fully pave – the dictatorship-era road which has already been blamed for extensive deforestation. The government also plans to sell to investors a concession to run BR-163, a key northern route for shipping Brazilian grains, adding it along with the Trans-Amazonian to a priority list for privatization at a meeting next month, infrastructure minister Tarcisio Freitas told Reuters in an interview. Continue reading... |
| How tobacco industry donations cloud debates over cigarette controls Posted: 23 Jan 2019 03:00 AM PST Free-market thinktanks from Malaysia to Chile and Australia received funding from the industry alongside governments as they argued against tobacco controls Smoking kills more than 27,200 Malaysians every year. Continue reading... |
| Water crisis: western NSW mayors travel to Sydney to demand help Posted: 22 Jan 2019 11:32 PM PST Five mayors warn their towns could run out of water within weeks and call for their needs to be prioritised over irrigators The mayors of several western New South Wales councils have warned their townships face major water crises within weeks and have urged the state government to impose a one-month embargo on irrigators pumping from the upper part of the Darling River system. Continue reading... |
| Tired of dark fields and jeering men: the bride who led a 'toilet revolution' | Amrit Dhillon Posted: 22 Jan 2019 10:00 PM PST Komal Hadala's hellish treks to relieve herself inspired a campaign that left her Indian village flushed with success The day after her wedding, Komal Hadala was shaken awake at 4am by her mother-in-law. They joined a group of women who were waiting outside the house, in Nithora village, Uttar Pradesh. "It was the time when they went outdoors to relieve themselves in the fields before men started appearing. I couldn't believe it. It was total darkness outside. And it had been raining," says Hadala. Continue reading... |
| Record private jet flights into Davos as leaders arrive for climate talk Posted: 22 Jan 2019 05:27 AM PST Experts predict up to 1,500 individual private flights in and out of airfields serving Swiss ski resort for World Economic Forum David Attenborough might have urged world leaders at Davos to take urgent action on climate change, but it appears no one was listening. As he spoke, experts predicted up to 1,500 individual private jets will fly to and from airfields serving the Swiss ski resort this week. Political and business leaders and lobbyists are opting for bigger, more expensive aircrafts, according to analysis by the Air Charter Service, which found the number of private jet flights grew by 11% last year. Continue reading... |
| Factory that supplied Tesco compensated abused worker Posted: 21 Jan 2019 10:00 PM PST The woman was robbed and told if she protested she would be 'killed and put in box' A Bangladeshi factory that produces clothes for Tesco, Sainsbury's and Mothercare was forced to compensate an "outspoken" female worker after she was beaten up on the orders of management and threatened with being murdered, the Guardian has learned. The woman claimed to have been "severely beaten up" by security guards and the HR and compliance management at the factory, which is used by the brand Stanley/Stella. She said she was robbed of her severance pay and told that if she protested she would be "killed and her body put in a cardboard box", an industry watchdog report that endorses her account states. Continue reading... |
| Mike Pence backs Venezuelan protesters seeking to oust President Nicolás Maduro – video Posted: 23 Jan 2019 12:05 AM PST Mike Pence, the US vice-president, has issued a video message offering the country's 'unwavering support' to Venezuelans protesting against President Nicolás Maduro. 'We stand with you, and we will stay with you until democracy is restored,' Pence said on the eve of demonstrations expected to take place across the country. Maduro has accused Washington of trying to force a coup Continue reading... |
| 'When to Ambae?' Volcano-hit islanders long for home – in pictures Posted: 22 Jan 2019 03:15 PM PST The violent Manaro Voui volcano forced the people of Vanuatu's Ambae island to flee their home numerous times over the last year. After living in makeshift camps on surrounding islands, the displaced residents are now anxious to return to their ash-covered homes, even if the danger has not yet passed Continue reading... |
| Jair Bolsonaro says he will ‘open up’ Brazil’s economy in pro-business speech at Davos – video Posted: 22 Jan 2019 10:16 AM PST Brazil's rightwing president Jair Bolsonaro causes alarm among environmentalists after stressing that protecting his country's unique ecosystem has to be consistent with economic growth. His brief speech to the World Economic Forum outlines a tax-cutting, privatisation agenda. Bolsonaro pledges to bring about economic change, saying that by the end of his term, Brazil will be 'in the ranking of the 50 best countries to do business with' Continue reading... |
| You are subscribed to email updates from World news | The Guardian. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Posting Komentar