World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- ‘Relentless’ destruction of rainforest continuing despite Cop26 pledge
- Priti Patel’s Rwanda asylum seeker plan faces first legal challenge
- Janjaweed militia blamed for attacks that left at least 200 dead in Darfur
- Mali jihadists claim capture of fighter from Russia’s Wagner group
- Sudan: at least 168 people killed in violence in Darfur region, aid group says
- ‘The smell is terrible’: toxic foam clouds float through streets of Bogotá suburb
- Canada’s attempt to phase out open-pen salmon farms faces setback
- Ottawa police chief vows to stop biker rally as city braces for potential protests
- Why are UK supermarkets rationing cooking oil?
- Canada: increase in asylum seekers after Covid restrictions blocked border entry
- ‘Like a football idol’: Bolsonaro claws back support after poor Covid response
- Beijing halts weddings and funerals and closes schools in Covid fightback
- Australia’s foreign minister denounces China’s ‘secret’ security deal with Solomon Islands
- Solomons PM could use Chinese police to stay in power, key provincial adviser fears
- Christian Porter denied justice plea from Indonesians jailed in Australia when they were children
- Philippines presidency frontrunner praises ‘genius’ dictator father
- Outcry as Singapore executes man with learning difficulties over drugs offence
- Buyers warned about rushing into government’s First Home Guarantee scheme
- Wholesale power prices double in a year in Australia’s main electricity market
- Labor candidates in marginal seats buck party line to advocate for jobseeker increase
- Unions to announce green ban in bid to protect Melbourne’s John Curtin hotel
- Peter Dutton says Australia should be prepared for war – but are we?
- ‘This isn’t safe’: NSW renters fight twin battles against mould and landlords
- Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv rocked by missile strikes as UN chief visits Ukraine capital – live
- Ukraine names 10 Russian soldiers in alleged human rights abuses in Bucha
- Tories ‘bending the rules’ after missing deadline for publishing Lebedev advice
- Biden asks Congress for $33bn Ukraine aid package
- Russia’s war in Ukraine: complete guide in maps, video and pictures
- Marine Le Pen’s party has high hopes for French parliament elections
- Iran has not received £400m agreed by UK at time of Zaghari-Ratcliffe release
- Massacre in Tadamon: how two academics hunted down a Syrian war criminal
- Time running out to reach Iran nuclear deal, warn experts
- Disney is refusing to cut LGBTQ scene in Doctor Strange 2, Saudi Arabia says
- British man held for five years in Yemen without charge is freed
- Myanmar junta sentences Aung San Suu Kyi to five years for corruption
- Four killed by female suicide bomber near China institute in Pakistan
- Spectre of polio returns to haunt Pakistan as baby boy is left paralysed
- Recorded sex crimes reach record high in England and Wales
- Senior Tories pressure Johnson to act now on MP accused of watching porn
- Keir Starmer hosts Israeli Labor party in charm offensive ahead of local elections
- NatWest avoids revolt as shareholders back executive pay overhaul
- Briton killed in Ukraine believed to be ex-soldier Scott Sibley
- Tories should act now over MP accused of watching pornography in chamber, says Keir Starmer – as it happened
- ‘We’re not attacking Russia,’ Biden says as he asks for $33bn in Ukraine aid – live
- US FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars
- Oklahoma house passes Texas-style abortion ban
- Democrats announce plans to ‘go after’ big oil in effort to bring down prices
- Duck finds missing remains in North Carolina murder investigation
- US economy saw ‘unexpectedly severe’ drop in first three months of year
| ‘Relentless’ destruction of rainforest continuing despite Cop26 pledge Posted: 28 Apr 2022 01:01 AM PDT Tropics lost 11.1m hectares of tree cover in 2021, including forest critical to limiting global heating and biodiversity loss, finds World Resources Institute Pristine rainforests were once again destroyed at a relentless rate in 2021, according to new figures, prompting concerns governments will not meet a Cop26 deal to halt and reverse deforestation by the end of the decade. From the Brazilian Amazon to the Congo basin, the tropics lost 11.1m hectares of tree cover last year, including 3.75m ha of primary forest critical to limiting global heating and biodiversity loss. Continue reading... |
| Priti Patel’s Rwanda asylum seeker plan faces first legal challenge Posted: 27 Apr 2022 05:02 AM PDT Charity Freedom from Torture says it has 'serious concerns' about lawfulness of policy Priti Patel's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is facing its first legal challenge after a charity instructed lawyers to demand the disclosure of documents because of fears the policy is contrary to international law. In a pre-action letter to the Home Office, which is expected to lead to a judicial review claim, the solicitors Leigh Day stated that the charity Freedom from Torture "has serious concerns about the lawfulness of the policy". Continue reading... |
| Janjaweed militia blamed for attacks that left at least 200 dead in Darfur Posted: 26 Apr 2022 03:35 AM PDT Death toll likely to rise, say witnesses to indiscriminate attacks on Kreinik and El Geneina by Sudan's notorious Rapid Support Forces At least 200 people are now known to have died in West Darfur in the latest attack on civilians and local forces blamed on Janjaweed militia. Darfur, the semi-arid western region of Sudan where a vicious civil war erupted in 2003, has seen a new outbreak of fighting over the past few months as rival groups clash over water and grazing land, shortages of which are being exacerbated by the climate crisis. Continue reading... |
| Mali jihadists claim capture of fighter from Russia’s Wagner group Posted: 25 Apr 2022 06:42 AM PDT Islamist group says it captured mercenary from Kremlin-linked private security firm A jihadist group in Mali claims to have captured a fighter from the Kremlin-linked Wagner mercenary group reportedly fighting Islamist militants in the west African country. "In the first week of April, [we] captured a soldier of the Russian Wagner forces in the Segou region in central Mali," the GSIM (the Group to Support Islam and Muslims) said in a statement sent to AFP overnight. Continue reading... |
| Sudan: at least 168 people killed in violence in Darfur region, aid group says Posted: 24 Apr 2022 04:46 PM PDT Fears death toll from Sunday's clashes could rise after armed tribesmen attacked villages of non-Arab Massalit minority Clashes between rival groups in Sudan's Darfur killed at least 168 people on Sunday, an aid group has said, in the latest bout of deadly violence to hit the restive region. Darfur, which was ravaged by civil war that erupted in 2003, has seen a spike in deadly conflict since October last year triggered by disputes mainly over land, livestock and access to water and grazing. Continue reading... |
| ‘The smell is terrible’: toxic foam clouds float through streets of Bogotá suburb Posted: 28 Apr 2022 09:59 AM PDT Foul-smelling foam blankets homes and businesses and sends residents of Mosquera fleeing, as officials say don't get too close A vast blanket of foul-smelling toxic foam has overflowed a polluted river near the Colombian capital Bogotá, covering homes and businesses, and sending residents fleeing from cloud-like fragments as they drift through the streets. "The smell is terrible – [and] we've had to put up with this foam for a long time," community leader Luz Mariela Gómez told local television channels. "We're running a risk. Someone could fall down there and we won't be able to find them." Continue reading... |
| Canada’s attempt to phase out open-pen salmon farms faces setback Posted: 27 Apr 2022 10:01 AM PDT Federal judge says farmers had been blindsided by a government order to shut down Canada's effort to phase out open-pen salmon farms has hit a roadblock after a federal judge said farmers had been blindsided by a government order to shut down. Federal court judge Elizabeth Heneghan ruled earlier this month that former fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan had failed to grant farm operators the right to procedural fairness when she announced plans to phase out the farms, and criticized the minister's lack of clarity surrounding the controversial decision that companies said would cost them millions in losses. Continue reading... |
| Ottawa police chief vows to stop biker rally as city braces for potential protests Posted: 27 Apr 2022 03:10 AM PDT 'Rolling Thunder' rally's organizer denies event is a protest but prominent anti-vaccine figure is advertised as a 'special guest' Ottawa's police chief has vowed to stop an upcoming biker rally from reaching the city's downtown core as residents brace for a potential rerun of the so-called "Freedom Convoy" anti-government protests that paralyzed the Canadian capital earlier in the year. Thousands of bikers are expected to arrive in Ottawa on Friday for the "Rolling Thunder" rally purportedly called in honour of military veterans. Continue reading... |
| Why are UK supermarkets rationing cooking oil? Posted: 26 Apr 2022 08:17 AM PDT Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose have limited sales after concerns over shortages caused by Ukraine war The latest supermarket data from Kantar shows shoppers have been stockpiling cooking oil because of concerns about the shortage of sunflower oil caused by the Russia-Ukraine war. Here we look at what is behind the shortages, what the situation means for consumers and how long it might last. Continue reading... |
| Canada: increase in asylum seekers after Covid restrictions blocked border entry Posted: 25 Apr 2022 07:54 AM PDT Numbers ticking up again after Canadian border police had refused entry to all asylum seekers to try to stop Covid spread Snowy northern winters tend to see a drop in asylum seekers crossing from the United States into Canada at Roxham Road in Quebec. Not this past winter. In December, the number of asylum seekers entering Canada outside formal land border crossings reached its highest point since August 2017, government statistics show. Continue reading... |
| ‘Like a football idol’: Bolsonaro claws back support after poor Covid response Posted: 25 Apr 2022 03:50 AM PDT President is touring Brazil in bid to win back voters before October election – and appears to be making headway He came on horseback and wore a scowl as he spoke, telling thousands of yellow-clad believers they faced a momentous battle of good versus evil. "Good has always triumphed – and this time it will be no different. Good will prevail!" the outsider bellowed as his followers encircled the stage that had been erected to welcome him to this sweltering satellite town in north-east Brazil. Continue reading... |
| Beijing halts weddings and funerals and closes schools in Covid fightback Posted: 28 Apr 2022 09:01 AM PDT Stockpiling rife as city acts in attempt to avoid Shanghai-style lockdown Beijing has closed schools and suspended weddings and funerals in the city of 22 million in a whirlwind effort to avoid plunging China's capital into a Shanghai-style Covid lockdown. Fears that Beijing could soon be in lockdown have already prompted widespread stockpiling, leading to shortages in some supermarkets. Continue reading... |
| Australia’s foreign minister denounces China’s ‘secret’ security deal with Solomon Islands Posted: 27 Apr 2022 10:57 PM PDT Marise Payne says other members of the 'Pacific family' share concerns but she rejects claims her government 'dropped the ball' in the region
Marise Payne has denounced the "secret" terms of China's security deal with Solomon Islands, while insisting "no document signed and kept away from public view" would change Australia's commitment to answering Pacific countries' needs. The foreign affairs minister said the agreement was "not transparent" – unlike Australia's existing security treaty with Solomon Islands – and was also being hidden from other Pacific countries. Continue reading... |
| Solomons PM could use Chinese police to stay in power, key provincial adviser fears Posted: 27 Apr 2022 07:22 PM PDT Celsus Irokwato Talifilu says ordinary people also worried about being caught in a conflict between China and the US A key adviser to the premier of the most populous province in Solomon Islands has expressed concern that the China-Solomons security deal could enable the prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, to use Chinese armed police and military personnel to quash democratic dissent and hold on to power for years to come. Celsus Irokwato Talifilu, who is an adviser to Daniel Suidani, the premier of Malaita province, said that while it was "fair" that Australia, the US and other regional partners had focused their attention on the prospect of a military base on the islands, the major fear for many in Solomon Islands was the erosion of democracy. Continue reading... |
| Christian Porter denied justice plea from Indonesians jailed in Australia when they were children Posted: 27 Apr 2022 10:30 AM PDT Former attorney general refused to refer cases to WA court of appeal, despite an earlier ruling finding a miscarriage of justice in a similar case
The former attorney general Christian Porter rejected a plea for mercy from six Indonesians who said they were wrongly jailed as children using unreliable evidence, telling them they had no chance of success despite their lawyers pointing to a landmark ruling years earlier finding a miscarriage of justice in a similar case. The six Indonesians, then aged between 13 and 17, were detained on a series of people smuggling boats in 2009 and were prosecuted by the commonwealth and jailed as adults in maximum security prisons in Western Australia. Continue reading... |
| Philippines presidency frontrunner praises ‘genius’ dictator father Posted: 27 Apr 2022 09:49 AM PDT Ferdinand Marcos Jr ahead in polls for 9 May election in spite of notorious family history The frontrunner in the Philippines presidential race, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has praised his father – the country's late dictator – as a "political genius", and his mother as the dynasty's "supreme politician", less than two weeks before an election that could return the Marcos family to power. Ferdinand Marcos Jr, known as Bongbong, has a clear lead in the polls ahead of an election on 9 May, despite his father's notorious history. Continue reading... |
| Outcry as Singapore executes man with learning difficulties over drugs offence Posted: 27 Apr 2022 01:47 AM PDT Campaigners decry 'broken system' in Singapore that disproportionately punishes drug mules rather than those who coerce them into work A man with learning difficulties has been executed in Singapore for attempting to smuggle a small amount of heroin, despite repeated pleas for his life to be spared, in a case campaigners have described as a "tragic miscarriage of justice". Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, a Malaysian national, was arrested in 2009, aged 21, for attempting to carry 43g of heroin – about three tablespoons – into Singapore. He was sentenced to death the following year, and then spent more than a decade on death row. Continue reading... |
| Buyers warned about rushing into government’s First Home Guarantee scheme Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:30 AM PDT Predicted rate rises and falls in property values pose risks to those considering loans with a 5% deposit, experts say
First-home buyers have been warned to plan carefully before taking advantage of a federal government scheme that would allow them to secure property with a 5% deposit, at a time interest rates are predicted to rise. Experts say the First Home Guarantee scheme could be appropriate for people who plan to stay in one spot for a while and are comfortable riding out a possible property value trough, but warn it could still be risky, especially in regional areas. Continue reading... |
| Wholesale power prices double in a year in Australia’s main electricity market Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:30 AM PDT The jolt in costs is being blamed mostly on more expensive fossil fuels and falling reliability of coal-fired power plants Wholesale power prices in Australia's main electricity market continued to rise in the first three months of 2022, more than doubling the cost a year earlier, with the increase blamed mostly on more costly fossil fuels and the falling reliability of coal-fired power plants. Renewable energy, meanwhile, grew its share of the market to more than one-third, pushing carbon emissions from the largest polluting sector to new lows, according to the quarterly energy dynamics report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo). Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading... |
| Labor candidates in marginal seats buck party line to advocate for jobseeker increase Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:30 AM PDT Louise Miller-Frost says current rate represents 'intentional cruelty' while Andrew Charlton says lifting it is 'right thing to do'
Two of Labor's star candidates in must-win marginal electorates have advocated strongly for an increase to the jobseeker payment, contradicting the party's decision to scrap its planned review of the benefit if it wins government. The opposition dashed the hopes of welfare advocates at the beginning of the campaign after confirming it had no plans to review the unemployment payment, as it had planned to do if elected in 2019. It also explicitly said it would not raise the rate in its first budget. Continue reading... |
| Unions to announce green ban in bid to protect Melbourne’s John Curtin hotel Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:30 AM PDT Group of unions step up campaign to protect historic pub popular with leaders of Australia's labour movement A group of construction unions are set to announce a green ban as part of efforts to protect the historic John Curtin Hotel in Melbourne from redevelopment. The 150-year-old venue, named after wartime Labor prime minister, John Curtin, was recently bought by an overseas-based investor and developer. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading... |
| Peter Dutton says Australia should be prepared for war – but are we? Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:30 AM PDT The defence minister's rhetoric isn't matched by reality with five key projects behind schedule, not fit for purpose, axed or facing other problems
Australia's defence minister, Peter Dutton, said on Anzac Day: "The only way you can preserve peace is to prepare for war and be strong as a country, not to cower, not to be on bended knee and be weak." But how does this rhetoric about preparing for war match reality? We take a look at five significant defence projects that are either well behind schedule or have had major problems. Continue reading... |
| ‘This isn’t safe’: NSW renters fight twin battles against mould and landlords Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:30 AM PDT The Greens want increased protections for tenants to ensure homes are mould-free and have adequate waterproofing
Once a month Paul sends his family out of the house. With a mask on and vinegar solution in hand, he gets to work scrubbing the mould off the roof and walls of his home. It's in his bedroom, in the kids' bedrooms and play room, the lounge room, the kitchen. A few days after the clean, it starts to reappear and Paul spot cleans the growth until it's time for next month's deep clean. Mould has been an issue in his Wollongong home since he moved in with his family a year ago. "It just keeps coming back and we're getting no help from the real estate agent or the landlord." Continue reading... |
| Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv rocked by missile strikes as UN chief visits Ukraine capital – live Posted: 28 Apr 2022 12:52 PM PDT Loud explosions in Ukrainian capital as UN secretary general António Guterres says Mariupol is 'crisis within a crisis'
More than 8,500 alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine are under investigation, Ukraine's prosecutor's office has said. A total of 8,653 cases have been reported and 217 children have been confirmed to have been killed, the office added. Unfortunately this is the type of step, the type of almost weaponising energy supplies that we had predicted that Russia could take in this conflict. And we have been working for some time now, for months, with partners around the world to diversify natural gas supply to Europe to — in anticipation of and to also address near-term needs and replace volumes that would otherwise come from Russia." Continue reading... |
| Ukraine names 10 Russian soldiers in alleged human rights abuses in Bucha Posted: 28 Apr 2022 11:30 AM PDT Prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova says 'more than 8,000 cases' of suspected war crimes identified Ukraine's prosecutor general has named 10 Russian soldiers allegedly involved in human rights abuses during the month-long occupation of Bucha. Iryna Venediktova also told German TV that that Ukranian investigators had identified "more than 8,000 cases" of suspected war crimes since Russia's invasion, which included accusations of "killing civilians, bombing of civilian infrastructure, torture" and "sexual crimes". Continue reading... |
| Tories ‘bending the rules’ after missing deadline for publishing Lebedev advice Posted: 28 Apr 2022 11:26 AM PDT Not releasing MI5 advice on granting peerage makes government look like it has something to hide, Labour says Ministers have been accused of "bending the rules to dodge scrutiny" after Downing Street missed the deadline for publishing the security advice it received about granting Evgeny Lebedev a peerage. MPs voted last month for the material to be released after reports that MI5 raised security concerns when the Evening Standard owner and son of a KGB officer was nominated by Boris Johnson to join the House of Lords in March 2020. Continue reading... |
| Biden asks Congress for $33bn Ukraine aid package Posted: 28 Apr 2022 11:20 AM PDT President's request includes over $20bn in military aid, $8.5bn in economic aid to Kyiv and $3bn in humanitarian relief Joe Biden has called for a giant $33bn package of military and economic aid to Ukraine, more than doubling the level of US assistance to date, in an emphatic rejection of Russian threats of reprisals and escalation. A few hours after Biden spoke, Kyiv was shaken by two powerful cruise missile strikes, while the UN secretary general, António Guterres, was visiting the Ukraine capital following a meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. More artillery and armored vehicles, as well as anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft systems. Help to build up Ukraine's cyber warfare capabilities. More intelligence sharing. Support to increase Ukraine's ability to produce munitions and strategic minerals. Assistance in clearing landmines and other explosives and in Ukraine's defence against chemical, biological and dirty bomb attacks. A further buildup in the US military presence on Nato's eastern flank. Continue reading... |
| Russia’s war in Ukraine: complete guide in maps, video and pictures Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:27 AM PDT Where is fighting happening and how did we get here? Russia has upped the pace of its offensive in the east, according to Ukrainian officials who said the focus of attacks was near the towns of Slobozhanske and Donets, along a strategic frontline highway linking Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, with the Russian-occupied city of Izium. Continue reading... |
| Marine Le Pen’s party has high hopes for French parliament elections Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:21 AM PDT Far-right National Rally vows to run in every constituency, buoyed by broader support in presidential vote Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party has turned its attention to June's parliamentary elections after its defeat in the presidential contest, vowing to field candidates in every constituency and claiming the electoral system is stacked against it. "We've been preparing for a very long time for these elections," said the acting party president, Jordan Bardella. "It's essential our ideas are defended in the assembly." He said his party would take a stand on security, immigration and French identity issues in parliament, as well as taxes. "People have to vote," he said on the CNews TV channel. "We need an opposition." Continue reading... |
| Iran has not received £400m agreed by UK at time of Zaghari-Ratcliffe release Posted: 27 Apr 2022 01:53 AM PDT Debt paid as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh-Ashoori were released is blocked in Oman, Iran says The historic £400m debt the UK paid to Iran at the time of the release of British-Iranian dual nationals Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori has still not reached Tehran, according to Iranian government sources. A senior Iranian government source said the money was blocked in Oman and the problem was not with the UK government. One report said only £1m had been transferred to Tehran. Continue reading... |
| Massacre in Tadamon: how two academics hunted down a Syrian war criminal Posted: 26 Apr 2022 06:00 PM PDT After a rookie militiaman secretly watched a video of 41 people being brutally killed, he knew he had to get the horrific images to the outside world • Warning: this report contains images readers may find upsetting On a spring morning three years ago, a new recruit to a loyalist Syrian militia was handed a laptop belonging to one of Bashar al-Assad's most feared security wings. He opened the screen and curiously clicked on a video file, a brave move given the consequences if anyone had caught him prying. The footage was unsteady at first, before it closed in on a freshly dug pit in the ground between the bullet-pocked shells of two buildings. An intelligence officer he knew was knelt near the hole's edge in military fatigues and a fishing hat, brandishing an assault rifle and barking orders. Continue reading... |
| Time running out to reach Iran nuclear deal, warn experts Posted: 26 Apr 2022 08:53 AM PDT Letter signed by former diplomats says Iran close to developing nuclear weapons capability Leading former diplomats including seven ex-UK foreign and defence ministers have warned the Iran nuclear talks are heading to "corrosive stalemate devolving into a cycle of increased nuclear tension" and urged Tehran and Washington to show more flexibility. Year-long talks in Vienna on reviving the deal and for the US, which was pulled out of the agreement by Donald Trump, to lift sanctions on Iran have in effect ground to a halt in a dispute over whether the west will lift the foreign terrorist organisation designation, and sanctions, against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Continue reading... |
| Disney is refusing to cut LGBTQ scene in Doctor Strange 2, Saudi Arabia says Posted: 25 Apr 2022 06:08 PM PDT Official denies Marvel film is banned but says kingdom 'still trying' to get Disney to cut 12 seconds referring to lesbian character with two mothers Saudi Arabia has asked Disney to cut "LGBTQ references" from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before it can be screened in the kingdom, an official said on Monday – but denied earlier reports that the film has been banned. Disney has so far declined the requested edits to the Doctor Strange sequel, slated for release around the world next week. The cuts amount to "barely 12 seconds" in which a lesbian character, America Chavez, played by the actor Xochitl Gomez, refers to her "two moms", according to Nawaf Alsabhan, Saudi Arabia's general supervisor of cinema classification. Continue reading... |
| British man held for five years in Yemen without charge is freed Posted: 24 Apr 2022 10:01 AM PDT Luke Symons was captured by Houthi rebels and accused of being a spy but was never put on trial A British man who was held captive in Yemen without charge or trial for five years has been released from jail. In 2017, Luke Symons, 30, was detained by Houthi rebels at a security checkpoint on suspicion of espionage. Continue reading... |
| Myanmar junta sentences Aung San Suu Kyi to five years for corruption Posted: 26 Apr 2022 09:35 PM PDT Deposed leader has been detained since a military coup in 2021 and has been charged with offences ranging from fraud to violating the official secrets act Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to five years in prison after she was found guilty of corruption by a court in military-controlled Myanmar, the latest in a series of legal cases condemned as an attempt to remove her as a political threat. Myanmar's former leader, 76, has been detained since a military coup in February last year plunged the country into a political crisis and escalating conflict. Since then, she has been charged with at least 18 offences, ranging from election fraud to violating the Official Secrets Act. The various charges carry maximum sentences that could lead to Aung San Suu Kyi spending the rest of her life in detention. Continue reading... |
| Four killed by female suicide bomber near China institute in Pakistan Posted: 26 Apr 2022 06:15 AM PDT Baloch Liberation Army claims responsibility saying it was the first such attach by a female assailant A suicide bomber from a Pakistani separatist group has killed four people, including three Chinese nationals, in an attack on a minibus carrying staff from the Confucius Institute at Karachi University. The Baloch Liberation Army – one of several groups fighting for independence in Pakistan's biggest province – claimed responsibility for Tuesday's bombing, saying it was the first suicide attack by a female assailant. Continue reading... |
| Spectre of polio returns to haunt Pakistan as baby boy is left paralysed Posted: 25 Apr 2022 08:18 AM PDT First case in a year sparks fears of new outbreak despite success of national programme to wipe out the disease Pakistan has confirmed its first case of polio after more than a year, damaging the country's hopes of eradicating the virus. Health officials have announced that a baby boy in North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan, is paralysed after contracting polio. Dr Shahzad Baig, a coordinator with the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, confirmed the "deeply saddening" case. Continue reading... |
| Recorded sex crimes reach record high in England and Wales Posted: 28 Apr 2022 11:42 AM PDT Victims' commissioner calls goal of returning prosecution levels to pre-2017 levels 'a pipe dream' Sex crimes logged by police in England and Wales have reached a record high amid warnings from the victims' commissioner that the government's aim to boost prosecutions to levels last seen five years ago is "a pipe dream". Police-recorded sexual offences increased to their highest level over a 12-month period, with 183,587 in the year to December 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading... |
| Senior Tories pressure Johnson to act now on MP accused of watching porn Posted: 28 Apr 2022 11:36 AM PDT MPs question why direct action has not been taken, but PM says independent process is needed Boris Johnson is under increasing pressure to take immediate disciplinary action against the Conservative MP accused of watching pornography in the House of Commons. The chief whip issued a statement on Wednesday suggesting the matter should be referred to parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which deals with sexual harassment and other disciplinary matters. But senior Tories questioned why he had not taken action directly against the MP, whose alleged behaviour was witnessed by two female colleagues in recent months. Continue reading... |
| Keir Starmer hosts Israeli Labor party in charm offensive ahead of local elections Posted: 28 Apr 2022 11:24 AM PDT Senior shadow cabinet ministers invite Israeli politicians to observe Labour's door-knocking drive in Barnet, north London Keir Starmer and senior shadow cabinet ministers have launched a charm offensive while hosting officials from Israel's Labor party, including taking them door-knocking for the local elections in Barnet, north London. In move designed to underline the contrast with Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, Starmer and Rayner have hosted nine officials including the deputy mayor of Tel Aviv, Chen Arieli, the party's chief executive, Nir Rosen, and senior staffers from the Israeli leader's office. Continue reading... |
| NatWest avoids revolt as shareholders back executive pay overhaul Posted: 28 Apr 2022 11:21 AM PDT Advisory firm had called on investors to vote against plan, under which boss Alison Rose could earn £5.2m NatWest executives have avoided a shareholder rebellion despite a controversial new pay policy that could net its chief executive, Alison Rose, as much as £5.2m a year. The bank's new pay policy – which was put to a shareholder vote on Thursday afternoon – will increase Rose's potential bonus payouts by 25%, and result in a 43% rise for finance chief, Katie Murray, by 2023. Rose was paid nearly £3.6m in 2021. Continue reading... |
| Briton killed in Ukraine believed to be ex-soldier Scott Sibley Posted: 28 Apr 2022 11:05 AM PDT Foreign Office says support being provided to families of two British citizens, one killed and a second missing, reported to have volunteered to fight against Russia A British citizen has been killed in Ukraine and a second is missing, the Foreign Office has confirmed, amid reports that both were volunteers who had gone to fight in the country. The Briton who died is understood to be Scott Sibley, a former British soldier who had served overseas. Ex-colleagues paid tribute on a Facebook page run by veterans of the commandos logistics support squadron, where he was described as a man who had "showed commando spirit until the end". Continue reading... |
| Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:25 AM PDT This live blog is now closed. For the latest live news you can follow our Ukraine blog
The Conservative MP Jamie Wallis has been charged with failing to stop after being involved in a car crash last year, PA Media reports. PA says: Wallis has also been charged with failing to report a road traffic collision, driving without due care and attention and leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position. The MP for Bridgend and first openly transgender MP was arrested on suspicion of 'driving whilst unfit' following the late-night collision when a car hit a lamppost in Llanblethian on 28 November. At the time, Wallis said he was 'assisting police with their inquiries'. So I think as a society we've got to take this moment to reflect on what are we doing to lower standards of behaviour, whether that's on the tube, in front of children, in parliament or in public. The problem doesn't start in parliament. It actually ends up there, and it starts in wider society, and that's where we need to start discussing and agreeing some basic moral standards. I think this is something that does happen in many, if not all workplaces, where a small minority of men – and it is men – who are behaving in an unacceptable way. I think that's actually a more worrying symptom of our society and our culture. How have we got to a place in our society where watching pornography on the tube, in public, in front of children, in parliament, in the workplace has become somehow normalised for some people? Continue reading... |
| ‘We’re not attacking Russia,’ Biden says as he asks for $33bn in Ukraine aid – live Posted: 28 Apr 2022 01:00 PM PDT
Joe Biden is also taking steps to ensure the money raised from assets seized from sanctioned allies of Vladimir Putin directly aids Ukraine. According to a White House fact sheet about Biden's new aid request, the administration is "proposing legislation to streamline the process to recoup proceeds from seized and forfeited assets and use them to remediate the harm caused in Ukraine". Continue reading... |
| US FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:56 AM PDT Effort to 'help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers' likely to face stiff opposition from big tobacco The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued a long-awaited proposal to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, a major victory for anti-smoking advocates but one that could dent sales at tobacco companies. The proposal, which comes a year after the agency announced the plan, still needs to be finalized, and could take years to implement as it is likely to face stiff opposition from big tobacco. Continue reading... |
| Oklahoma house passes Texas-style abortion ban Posted: 28 Apr 2022 10:29 AM PDT Bill approved without discussion or debate now heads to the Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it The Oklahoma house gave final approval on Thursday to a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. The bill approved by the GOP-led house on a 68-12 vote without discussion or debate now heads to the Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it within days. The assault on abortion rights is one of several culture-war issues conservatives in GOP-led states have embraced, like restricting LGBTQ+ rights, that drive the party's base in an election year. Continue reading... |
| Democrats announce plans to ‘go after’ big oil in effort to bring down prices Posted: 28 Apr 2022 08:49 AM PDT Nancy Pelosi says oil companies 'hoarding the windfall while keeping prices high at the pump' amid concerns over US inflation The Biden administration is to propose legislation that would allow US federal and state agencies to "go after" oil companies on wholesale and retail sales practices, lambasting the industry over price gouging and profiteering. As American voters express increasing concerns about the high prices of a wide range of consumer goods, including energy and food, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said passing legislation to bring down retail gasoline prices "is at the very top of our list". Continue reading... |
| Duck finds missing remains in North Carolina murder investigation Posted: 28 Apr 2022 07:47 AM PDT The pet duck's inadvertent discovery led authorities to charge the missing woman's granddaughter and grandson-in-law in the crime A pet duck has helped authorities in the murder investigation of a missing woman in North Carolina. In 2020, Nellie Sullivan, in her early 90s, disappeared without a trace, prompting authorities to launch an investigation without avail. Continue reading... |
| US economy saw ‘unexpectedly severe’ drop in first three months of year Posted: 28 Apr 2022 06:38 AM PDT US economy contracted by -0.4% in first quarter, its weakest quarter since the early days of the pandemic The US economy shrank in the first three months of the year, contracting by -0.4% in the first quarter, or -1.4% on an annualized basis, its weakest quarter since the early days of the pandemic. Economic growth slowed markedly at the start of the year. In the last three months of 2021 US gross domestic product (GDP) – a broad measure of the economy – grew by 1.7% or 6.9% on an annualized basis. Continue reading... |
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