World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Panama Papers source breaks silence over 'scale of injustices'
- IMF threatens to pull out of Greek rescue
- UN outrage over refugee deaths as bombing denied by Syrian government
- Turkish journalist Can Dündar jailed after surviving gun attack
- Bush-whacked: Jeb joins brother and father in vowing not to vote for Trump
- US military admits troops are operating inside Yemen to combat al-Qaida
- EU-Turkey visa deal on brink as Erdoğan refuses to change terror laws
- Eta member jailed for 92 years for plot to kill Spanish king
- Oil tanker washes up on Liberia beach with no crew or lifeboats
- Australia quietly adds 49 species to threatened and endangered lists
- Pope Francis castigates Europe in speech on solidarity
- Enda Kenny wins second term as Ireland's prime minister
- North Carolina defiant over 'bathroom bill' deadline: 'We will take no action'
- Oregon outlines sweeping protections for transgender students
- India's death row prisoners face horrific conditions, study finds
- Cologne sexual assault case collapses
- Paul Ryan declines to support Donald Trump as Republican standard-bearer
- 'A born natural orator': Irish student's account of Hitler in 1921 emerges
- The day we discovered our parents were Russian spies
- 'She’s goofy’: Donald Trump attacks Elizabeth Warren at Oregon rally – video
- Should David Cameron’s U-turn on unaccompanied child refugees be celebrated?
- The $10bn question: what happened to the Marcos millions?
- Margot Honecker, widow of former East German leader, dies
- Zimbabwe to print local ‘US dollar’ to ease severe cash crunch
- London-wide Assembly Members announced – video
- Malcolm Turnbull expected to start longest election campaign since 1960s
- 'Hitler diaries' proved to be forged – archive, 7 May 1983
- Australians must fight back against the anti-gay crusade
- New York dance troupe says China banned shows over Falun Gong links
- Beyond Uncle Sam: the US poster art inspired by the first world war
- Time to widen UK tax transparency register | Letters
- Banja Luka mosque rises from rubble, 23 years after it was destroyed
- Traditional opera in rural China – in pictures
- Bahrain faces rare US pressure over jailed rights activist
- Gunman arrested after shooting at Turkish journalist Can Dündar – video
- Brazil's favourite pastime: complex and inquisitive form filling
- 'Solar kids' who stop moving at night perplex doctors in Pakistan
- How Iran's Hassan Rouhani found his voice three years into office
- Chinese company boss treats 2,500 employees to holiday in Spain
- Bombing of Syrian refugee camp could be war crime, says UN chief
- Photo highlights of the day: a giant panda cub and the Viking Sea
- Algerian man to go on trial over NYE sexual assault in Cologne
- Glyn Roberts obituary
- When will the UK stand up to save education from bullets and bombs? | Martin Bell
- Maryland gunman arrested, say police – video report
- Dramatic fire closes two Washington DC metro stations – video
| Panama Papers source breaks silence over 'scale of injustices' Posted: 06 May 2016 08:00 AM PDT Whistleblower says leak of 11.5m Mossack Fonseca files on offshore tax havens has triggered debate but not enough action The whistleblower behind the Panama Papers broke their silence on Friday to explain in detail how the injustices of offshore tax havens drove them to the biggest data leak in history. The source, whose identity and gender remain a secret, denied being a spy. Continue reading... |
| IMF threatens to pull out of Greek rescue Posted: 06 May 2016 10:51 AM PDT Christine Lagarde issues warning in letter leaked three days before eurozone finance ministers discuss help for Athens Hopes of an end to the impasse between Greece and its creditors have appeared to evaporate after asurprise intervention from the International Monetary Fund. Related: Europe's liberal illusions shatter as Greek tragedy plays on Continue reading... |
| UN outrage over refugee deaths as bombing denied by Syrian government Posted: 06 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT Russia says none of its aircraft had flown over camp near Aleppo as UN officials say attacks could amount to war crime Syria's military command has denied it carried out airstrikes on a refugee camp near the Turkish border that killed at least 28 people, but a senior UN official said initial reports suggested a government plane was responsible for the "murderous attacks". Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, said he was outraged by the incident and called for those responsible to be held accountable". Ban urged the security council to refer the situation in Syria to the international criminal court. Continue reading... |
| Turkish journalist Can Dündar jailed after surviving gun attack Posted: 06 May 2016 11:16 AM PDT Newspaper editor sentenced to more than five years for state secrets offence on same day man tried to shoot him outside court The prominent Turkish journalist Can Dündar has been sentenced to more than five years in prison, shortly after surviving an attack by a gunman who attempted to shoot him outside a courthouse in Istanbul. "In the space of two hours we have experienced two assassination attempts: one was done with a gun, the other was judicial," said the newspaper editor, speaking in front of the court after the verdict was announced. Continue reading... |
| Bush-whacked: Jeb joins brother and father in vowing not to vote for Trump Posted: 06 May 2016 03:02 PM PDT Former candidate, who spent much of primary season as the butt of Trump's jokes, posted on Facebook that Trump hasn't 'the strength of character' to serve Jeb Bush has joined his brother and father in declaring that he will not support Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee, in the presidential election in November. Related: Democrats unveil their secret general election weapon: Donald Trump Continue reading... |
| US military admits troops are operating inside Yemen to combat al-Qaida Posted: 06 May 2016 02:03 PM PDT Defense department publicly acknowledges for the first time that US troops are aiding Yemen's government to fight al-Qaida affiliated forces The US military has for the first time publicly acknowledged that US troops are operating inside Yemen to help the country's government and a Saudi-backed coalition confront al-Qaida affiliated forces. Defense department spokesman Navy captain Jeff Davis said on Friday that a "very small number" of military personnel has in recent weeks been working with Yemeni and Arab Coalition forces to push al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) fighters from the port city of Mukalla. |
| EU-Turkey visa deal on brink as Erdoğan refuses to change terror laws Posted: 06 May 2016 10:53 AM PDT Refugee pact appears in danger of falling apart as Turkish president tells Europe: 'We'll go our way, you go yours' A visa-free travel deal between the EU and Turkey was on the brink of collapse on Friday night, after Turkey's president insisted he would not change his country's anti-terrorism laws, a key condition of the agreement. "We'll go our way, you go yours," said Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. When the European commission made a conditional offer of visa-free travel earlier this week, it said Ankara must rewrite its anti-terrorism laws because they were used to prosecute journalists and government critics. Continue reading... |
| Eta member jailed for 92 years for plot to kill Spanish king Posted: 06 May 2016 11:19 AM PDT Eneko Gogeaskoetxea Arronategui planned to throw grenades at Juan Carlos during Guggenheim Museum opening in 1997 A Spanish court sentenced a member of the Basque separatist group Eta to 92 years in prison over a failed plot to kill Spain's king at the opening of Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum in 1997. Eneko Gogeaskoetxea Arronategui and another Eta member had planned to lob grenades at Juan Carlos during the inauguration in northern Spain, according to the national court. Continue reading... |
| Oil tanker washes up on Liberia beach with no crew or lifeboats Posted: 06 May 2016 01:56 PM PDT Speculation rife about piracy or fire on board Tamaya 1, registered in Panama, who last known position was on 21 April near Gambia and Senegal An abandoned oil tanker has washed up on the shores of Liberia in west Africa, prompting an investigation – and speculation over the fate of the ship's crew. The Tamaya 1, which is registered in Panama, ran aground on a beach near Robertsport earlier this week, apparently without a crew or lifeboats. On Thursday the Liberia national police and bureau of immigration inspected the ship, days after local residents first discovered it on the beach. Continue reading... |
| Australia quietly adds 49 species to threatened and endangered lists Posted: 06 May 2016 04:00 PM PDT Brush-tailed bettong, three-toed snake-tooth skink, swift parrot and types of orchid and albatross listed Nearly 50 new species of flora and fauna have been added without fanfare to the federal government's list of threatened species, including nine that are critically endangered. Among the species to be added to the list under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act were the brush-tailed bettong (endangered), the three-toed snake-tooth skink (vulnerable), the swift parrot (upgraded from endangered to critically endangered), and several types of orchid and albatross. Continue reading... |
| Pope Francis castigates Europe in speech on solidarity Posted: 06 May 2016 04:27 AM PDT In Charlemagne prize acceptance speech, pontiff criticises union's position on refugees, economy and youth employment Europe is struggling to live up to the vision of its founders, Pope Francis has said in a powerful speech that asked: "What has happened to you, the Europe of humanism, the champion of human rights, democracy and freedom?" Speaking as he became the first pope to accept the prestigious Charlemagne prize for his work on behalf of European solidarity, the pontiff called for Europe to reclaim the principles that had been established after the second world war, above all by embracing integration and revamping its economic model to "benefit ordinary people and society as a whole". Continue reading... |
| Enda Kenny wins second term as Ireland's prime minister Posted: 06 May 2016 07:17 AM PDT In unusual alliance, Fine Gael leader will head minority Dublin government propped up by main opposition party, Fianna Fáil Enda Kenny has been re-elected as prime minister of Ireland after 10 weeks of deadlock that followed an inconclusive general election in February. Kenny is the first Fine Gael PM to win re-election in Irish history, though his triumph is marred by a minority administration that is propped up by independent MPs and, more crucially, by Fianna Fáil. Continue reading... |
| North Carolina defiant over 'bathroom bill' deadline: 'We will take no action' Posted: 06 May 2016 10:28 AM PDT Republican state house speaker accuses Obama administration of 'bullying' over its order to revise anti-LGBT law HB2 over violations of Civil Rights Act North Carolina officials have said they will defy a federal deadline to suspend their controversial "bathroom bill" by Monday or risk losing as much $4.8bn in government funding. "That deadline will come and go," said Tim Moore, the speaker of the state house of representatives. "We will take no action." Continue reading... |
| Oregon outlines sweeping protections for transgender students Posted: 06 May 2016 01:42 PM PDT Guidelines a contrast to anti-LGBT policies in other states as officials say schools should protect students' rights to use bathrooms that match their identities Oregon schools should protect transgender students' rights to use bathrooms that match their identities, according to sweeping new guidelines that provide a sharp contrast to recent anti-LGBT policies across the country. The state's department of education, which sets standards for 197 public school districts, published extensive protocols on Thursday aimed at "creating a safe and supportive school environment for transgender students" by allowing them access to appropriate restrooms, locker rooms and sports teams and by respecting their preferred names and gender pronouns. Continue reading... |
| India's death row prisoners face horrific conditions, study finds Posted: 06 May 2016 06:30 AM PDT Interviews with inmates reveal routine torture, unfair trials and solitary confinement Prisoners on death row in India are living in inhumane conditions, facing unfair trials and horrific acts of police torture, according to a new study released by the Death Penalty Research Project at the National Law University in Delhi. The study is based on interviews with 373 of the 385 inmates believed to be on death row in India and offers a harrowing insight into the unbearable uncertainty the prisoners face and the horrific conditions they have to live in as they wait for judges to decide their fate. Continue reading... |
| Cologne sexual assault case collapses Posted: 06 May 2016 06:57 AM PDT First assault charge to be brought after New Year's Eve attacks in German city dropped after witnesses fail to recognise defendant The first sexual assault charge to be brought after the New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne has been dropped after witnesses failed to recognise the defendant. The 26-year-old Algerian, named only as Farouk B, appeared in court in Cologne charged with sexually assaulting and stealing a phone from two women at the German city's main railway station on New Year's Eve. |
| Paul Ryan declines to support Donald Trump as Republican standard-bearer Posted: 05 May 2016 02:57 PM PDT
House speaker Paul Ryan, the highest-ranking elected Republican official in the US, has said he does not yet support Donald Trump as the party's presumptive presidential nominee. Related: Republicans plunged into five stages of grief over Trump's unstoppable rise Continue reading... |
| 'A born natural orator': Irish student's account of Hitler in 1921 emerges Posted: 06 May 2016 02:30 AM PDT Diary entries by Daniel Binchy – future Irish ambassador to Germany – provide early account of Nazi leader's rhetorical skills A young Irish student was one of the first people from outside Germany to recognise the danger of Adolf Hitler's inflammatory oratory, a new biography reveals. Daniel Binchy, who went on to become the Irish ambassador to Berlin between 1929 and 1932, spotted Hitler's rhetorical power inside a Munich beer hall in 1921, when the future Nazi dictator was nothing more than the leader of a small "freak party". |
| The day we discovered our parents were Russian spies Posted: 07 May 2016 01:00 AM PDT For years Donald Heathfield, Tracey Foley and their two children lived the American dream. Then an FBI raid revealed the truth: they were agents of Putin's Russia. Their sons tell their story Tim Foley turned 20 on 27 June 2010. To celebrate, his parents took him and his younger brother Alex out for lunch at an Indian restaurant not far from their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Both brothers were born in Canada, but for the past decade the family had lived in the US. The boys' father, Donald Heathfield, had studied in Paris and at Harvard, and now had a senior role at a consultancy firm based in Boston. Their mother, Tracey Foley, had spent many years focused on raising her children, before taking a job as a real estate agent. To those who knew them, they seemed a very ordinary American family, albeit with Canadian roots and a penchant for foreign travel. Both brothers were fascinated by Asia, a favoured holiday destination, and the parents encouraged their sons to be inquisitive about the world: Alex was only 16, but had just returned from a six-month student exchange in Singapore. After a buffet lunch, the four returned home and opened a bottle of champagne to toast Tim reaching his third decade. The brothers were tired; they had thrown a small house party the night before to mark Alex's return from Singapore, and Tim planned to go out later. After the champagne, he went upstairs to message his friends about the evening's plans. There came a knock at the door, and Tim's mother called up that his friends must have come early, as a surprise. Continue reading... |
| 'She’s goofy’: Donald Trump attacks Elizabeth Warren at Oregon rally – video Posted: 07 May 2016 12:46 AM PDT The presumptive Republican presidential nominee hits out at Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren, whom some have floated as a possible running mate for Hillary Clinton. Speaking at a campaign rally in Eugene, Oregon on Friday, he goes on to call Warren a "goofus" and "a basket case". The senator for Massachusetts had earlier insulted Trump on Twitter, calling him "a bully who has a single play in his playbook" Continue reading... |
| Should David Cameron’s U-turn on unaccompanied child refugees be celebrated? Posted: 07 May 2016 12:00 AM PDT Councils are willing to help but will be reluctant until it is clear who will pay for the extra school places and private foster care required Is David Cameron's U-turn on unaccompanied child refugees good news? The government's offer of sanctuary was widely welcomed, but there is huge uncertainty about what the rather vague commitment will mean in practice. Some of this confusion is to be expected, given that the policy was designed on the hoof early this week, as the prime minister tried to quell a rebellion of backbench Conservative MPs on the key immigration bill amendment put forward by Labour Lord Dubs (a former Kindertransport child refugee himself). But campaigners are still wondering whether or not to celebrate. Continue reading... |
| The $10bn question: what happened to the Marcos millions? Posted: 07 May 2016 12:00 AM PDT In the 21 years Ferdinand Marcos ran the Philippines, billions went missing. As his son stands for vice-president, will the stolen fortune ever be recovered? In the early hours of a February morning in 1986, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos flew into exile. After 21 years as president of the Philippines, Marcos had rigged one too many elections. The army had turned against him, and the people had come out on to the streets in their thousands. The Marcoses had seen the crisis coming and been able to prepare their escape, so when they landed that morning at the Hickham USAF base in Hawaii, they brought plenty of possessions with them. The official US customs record runs to 23 pages. In the two C-141 transport planes that carried them, they had packed: 23 wooden crates; 12 suitcases and bags, and various boxes, whose contents included enough clothes to fill 67 racks; 413 pieces of jewellery, including 70 pairs of jewel-studded cufflinks; an ivory statue of the infant Jesus with a silver mantle and a diamond necklace; 24 gold bricks, inscribed "To my husband on our 24th anniversary"; and more than 27m Philippine pesos in freshly-printed notes. The total value was $15m. Continue reading... |
| Margot Honecker, widow of former East German leader, dies Posted: 06 May 2016 02:50 PM PDT Honecker, prominent member of the East German communist party, died in Chile where she had lived since 1992 Margot Honecker, politician and widow of former East German leader Erich Honecker, has died in Chile at the age of 89, her family said. Honecker, who had lived in the country since 1992, died at home in the capital, Santiago, on Friday. Continue reading... |
| Zimbabwe to print local ‘US dollar’ to ease severe cash crunch Posted: 06 May 2016 05:02 AM PDT Currency shortage prompts national reserve to introduce new notes, currently in the 'design stage' Zimbabweans are forming long queues outside banks amid a cash shortage that has prompted the government to announce plans to print a local version of the US dollar and to limit withdrawals. The government adopted US and South African currencies in 2009 after hyperinflation rendered the national currency unusable as the economy collapsed. Continue reading... |
| London-wide Assembly Members announced – video Posted: 06 May 2016 03:53 PM PDT Jeffrey Jacobs, the Greater London returning officer, announces the |
| Malcolm Turnbull expected to start longest election campaign since 1960s Posted: 06 May 2016 11:40 PM PDT With the Coalition tied 50-50 with Labor in the latest poll, the PM is set to meet the governor general on Sunday and begin a 56-day count down to 2 July Malcolm Turnbull is expected to officially start the longest election campaign in Australia since the 1960s when he visits Yarralumla on Sunday to ask for a double dissolution election on 2 July. Related: Beware tax cuts for 'Middle Australia'. Above-average earners benefit most Continue reading... |
| 'Hitler diaries' proved to be forged – archive, 7 May 1983 Posted: 06 May 2016 09:00 PM PDT 7 May 1983: The Sunday Times paid some of the £250,000 for publishing rights, and was about to begin serialising the diaries The Sunday Times and Stern magazine have called off serialisation of the so-called Hitler Diaries after the West German Government declaration yesterday that a sample it had tested was counterfeit. The Bonn Minister of the interior, Mr Friedrich Zimmermann, said that three volumes of the alleged diaries sent to the Federal Archive, in Koblenz, for checking had been shown to be forgeries, made with post-war materials. The archive had called in federal forensic and standard institute experts to test the papers. Continue reading... |
| Australians must fight back against the anti-gay crusade Posted: 06 May 2016 04:22 PM PDT Thinly disguised propaganda against LGBTI people and cartoonish stereotypes of gay people have no place in a modern country. We should redouble our efforts to ensure every Australian is treated with equal respect Over recent months, attacks against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights and inclusion have begun to look like an anti-gay crusade. The campaign against Safe Schools has attempted to associate that program – and by proxy the people who implement it and it is meant to help – with Marxism and paedophilia. Continue reading... |
| New York dance troupe says China banned shows over Falun Gong links Posted: 06 May 2016 12:02 PM PDT The troupe has accused China's government of forcing cancellation of shows in Seoul because of its links to a spiritual movement Beijing calls an 'evil cult' A New York-based dance troupe has accused China of forcing the cancellation of its shows in South Korea over its links to a banned spiritual movement that Beijing calls "an evil cult" intent on "mind control". Shen Yun, a performing company affiliated with the Falun Gong movement, accused China's government of shutting down their shows in Seoul. The Chinese government maintains that the troupe is "a political tool" of Falun Gong. Continue reading... |
| Beyond Uncle Sam: the US poster art inspired by the first world war Posted: 06 May 2016 10:55 AM PDT Library of Congress's exhibit showcases how the war poster became a medium of recruitment, propaganda and criticism for first time in American history Just as Lord Kitchener's probing stare and pointing index finger famously announced "Your country needs you", so Uncle Sam transfixes the viewer with his eyes and finger beside the legend: "First call – I need you in the Navy this minute! Our country will always be proudest of those who answered the first call." This 1917 poster by James Montgomery Flagg, adapted from Alfred Leete's 1914 image of Kitchener, forms part of an exhibition that explores how American artists galvanised public interest in the first world war, opening on Saturday at the Library of Congress in Washington. It is the first in a series of events at the library marking next year's centenary of America entering the war. Continue reading... |
| Time to widen UK tax transparency register | Letters Posted: 06 May 2016 10:43 AM PDT Next week the UK hosts a timely anti-corruption summit that will seek to nudge the world toward much-needed improvements in corporate transparency. As Fair Tax Mark certified businesses we applaud the UK taking the lead in establishing a public register of beneficial ownership, which will do much to tackle the corruption and tax avoidance connected with anonymous corporations. However, we would also like to see the government take affirmative action to ensure that such public transparency is extended to the UK's overseas territories and crown dependencies – where so much concern rests following the disclosures within the Panama Papers. Businesses must increasingly demonstrate that they are open and transparent about their tax affairs, and pay the right amount of corporation tax at the right time and in the right place. Clarity on beneficial ownership is crucial to this, and would level the playing field for responsible business practice. |
| Banja Luka mosque rises from rubble, 23 years after it was destroyed Posted: 06 May 2016 09:41 AM PDT Ferhadija grand mosque, which was blown up by Bosnian Serb militiamen, to reopen after painstaking nine-year reconstruction A 16th-century grand mosque in the Serb-run Bosnian city of Banja Luka will be reopened on Saturday, 23 years to the day after it was blown up by nationalists as part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing. Ferhadija mosque, named after Ferhad Pasha, the Ottoman governor who had it built, was rebuilt over nine years. The reconstruction utilised many of the stones from the original building, which were dug up from rubbish dumps and lifted from riverbeds where Bosnian Serb militiamen had dumped them in an attempt to strip Bosnia's second city of all traces of its long Muslim heritage. The site was razed to the ground by bulldozers, leaving little but foundation stones and the wooden pilings. Continue reading... |
| Traditional opera in rural China – in pictures Posted: 06 May 2016 08:58 AM PDT Members of the Jinyuan Opera Company perform for villagers at the Dongyue temple in Cangshan, Sichuan province Continue reading... |
| Bahrain faces rare US pressure over jailed rights activist Posted: 06 May 2016 08:30 AM PDT The case of Zainab al-Khawaja has highlighted the issue of western influence over repression and human rights abuses in the Gulf island state Zainab al-Khawaja, the Bahraini political activist, is still languishing in gaol a month after a promise - made under rare international pressure - that she be freed. The Gulf state, a close military and economic partner of western governments, is ignoring a direct appeal by the US to release her. Khawaja, convicted of insulting an official and tearing up a picture of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is in cell 19, Issa Town Women's Prison, with her baby son. Her case has attracted global attention because of her own reputation and that of her father, Abdel-Hadi, serving a life sentence for calling for the overthrow of the Sunni monarchy. Continue reading... |
| Gunman arrested after shooting at Turkish journalist Can Dündar – video Posted: 06 May 2016 08:27 AM PDT A man is restrained after attempting to shoot Turkish journalist Can Dündar outside a court in Istanbul. Dündar was waiting for the verdict in his trial on charges of revealing state secrets. Police are seen arriving at the scene and arresting the gunman. Dündar was unharmed but a reporter has reportedly been injured Continue reading... |
| Brazil's favourite pastime: complex and inquisitive form filling Posted: 06 May 2016 07:38 AM PDT When Jonathan Watts moved to Rio de Janeiro after living in China, he expected less red tape, not a Kafkaesque bureaucracy Less than a week into May and I am already certain that it will be one of the most fraught months of my four years in Brazil. This is not so much because of the haywire political situation and the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, the president, nor the upcoming Olympics in my home city of Rio de Janeiro. It is not even the Zika epidemic, nor the economic recession. Continue reading... |
| 'Solar kids' who stop moving at night perplex doctors in Pakistan Posted: 06 May 2016 06:49 AM PDT Medics baffled by two brothers who behave normally in day but lapse into catatonic state as soon as sun sets The two brothers have come to be known as the "solar kids" and their case has completely mystified Pakistani doctors. Shoaib Ahmed, 13, and his brother Abdul Rasheed, nine, are normal, active children during the day. But once the sun goes down, they both lapse into a vegetative state — unable to move or talk. Javed Akram, a professor of medicine at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, said on Thursday that he had no idea what was causing the symptoms. "We took this case as a challenge. Our doctors are doing medical tests to determine why these kids remain active in the day but cannot open their eyes, why they cannot talk or eat when the sun goes down," he said, as he visited the pair at his hospital. Continue reading... |
| How Iran's Hassan Rouhani found his voice three years into office Posted: 06 May 2016 06:29 AM PDT President has become increasingly vocal, bolstered perhaps by recent election results and nuclear deal. But there may be a price Hassan Rouhani has taken almost three years to find his voice but at last, and coincidentally one year before his first term as Iranian president runs out, the moderate cleric has become increasingly vocal and blunt. It is a gradual, yet noticeable departure from his hitherto reserved and often indirect modus operandi. The theologian turned lawyer then president has been bolstered domestically by recent parliamentary elections, which dealt hardliners a humiliating blow, and by his success in peacefully resolving the dispute over Tehran's nuclear dossier, the main promise on which he ran his campaign in 2013. Continue reading... |
| Chinese company boss treats 2,500 employees to holiday in Spain Posted: 06 May 2016 05:48 AM PDT Tiens Group workers enjoy the sights of Madrid after billionaire owner Li Jinyuan splashes out £5.5m for mass tour Two and half thousand Chinese workers have been enjoying the sights of Madrid after their boss stumped up €7m (£5.5m) to take them on a Spanish holiday. Li Jinyuan, the billionaire owner of direct-sales firm Tiens Group, chartered 20 planes and booked 1,650 hotel rooms for the party. After their Madrid visit, the workers will board four specially reserved high-speed trains to Barcelona. |
| Bombing of Syrian refugee camp could be war crime, says UN chief Posted: 06 May 2016 05:45 AM PDT Airstrikes leave dozens dead in camp near Sarmada, with MSF saying attack shows civilians are paying price for conflict
The airstrikes on Thursday afternoon near Sarmada, a town in Idlib province just 12 miles away from Reyhanli in Turkey, left the camp in ruins, with one witness describing a scene of horror, with tents on fire and body parts strewn around the area. Continue reading... |
| Photo highlights of the day: a giant panda cub and the Viking Sea Posted: 06 May 2016 04:44 AM PDT A selection of the best photographs from around the world, including the year's first newborn giant panda and fireworks on the Thames Continue reading... |
| Algerian man to go on trial over NYE sexual assault in Cologne Posted: 06 May 2016 04:29 AM PDT Trial is first sexual assault case connected with apparently coordinated attacks on women in the city on New Year's Eve An Algerian man is to go on trial in Cologne on Friday charged with sexually assaulting and stealing from a woman at the city's main railway station on New Year's Eve. It is the first sexual assault case connected with the apparently coordinated New Year's Eve attacks, which created a storm of media outrage in Germany in January. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 06 May 2016 10:48 AM PDT "Questioning Development" was the title of a pamphlet written by Glyn Roberts, my dad, who has died aged 78. The phrase summed up his determination to challenge conventions in overseas aid. In the booklet, published in 1974 and translated into French, Dutch, Japanese, German, Italian and Esperanto, he argued that official help for poor countries is often wasted, even harmful, because donors ignore the wishes of recipients. Those helped must be consulted as partners, he said: aid works only when there is solidarity between donor and receiver. His arguments were fresh and, for some, influential. Born in Manchester and raised in Yorkshire, son of Robert, a writer and teacher, and Ruth, also a teacher, Glyn had dallied with an acting career, campaigned against Britain's intervention in Suez and later against apartheid South Africa. He ran youth volunteer camps in Africa, did stints as an academic in Sweden and Britain, then in 1979 put his principles to work by co-founding Tools for Self Reliance (TFSR). The NGO's volunteers in Britain (later Japan, Australia, Netherlands and beyond) collect unwanted high-quality hand tools and ship them to blacksmiths and carpenters – partners – in Africa (and, briefly, also did so to Nicaragua). Continue reading... |
| When will the UK stand up to save education from bullets and bombs? | Martin Bell Posted: 06 May 2016 02:14 AM PDT Some 462 million children live in countries in crisis, their schools often under attack or destroyed. Yet the UK has not signed the safe schools declaration One thing I know from my 30 years spent reporting in war zones is that in modern armed conflict it is the children who are exceptionally vulnerable. They lack the means of self-defence or escape. Many are orphans. Some are recruited as child soldiers. And when they are demobilised they are all too often re-recruited. Figures released this week by the UN children's fund, Unicef, show nearly a quarter of the world's school-aged children – about 462 million – now live in countries affected by crisis. Their childhoods are being stolen from them. Continue reading... |
| Maryland gunman arrested, say police – video report Posted: 06 May 2016 04:10 PM PDT Police say they have arrested suspect Eulalio Sevilla Tordil, accused of killing three people and wounding three others in the Washington, DC suburbs. After three separate shootings, and at least three deaths in the area, police have arrested the suspect. Police believe he's the man who killed his wife and shot a bystander on Thursday in Prince George's County, Maryland Continue reading... |
| Dramatic fire closes two Washington DC metro stations – video Posted: 06 May 2016 08:01 AM PDT Washington DC commuters faced a troubling evening commute on Thursday after a small fire caused the evacuation of one station and the closure of a second one. Federal Center and Capitol South stations were forced to close after an insulator that is part of the electrified third-rail system that powers the train caught fire shortly after 4.30pm local time, according to local news reports Continue reading... |
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