World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

Trump to withdraw from Trans-Pacific Partnership on first day in office
Trump cabinet contender accidentally unveils hardline anti-refugee proposals
Fillon calls for 'transformation' after first-round win in French primary
India allows 250,000-rupee withdrawals for wedding expenses
Japan earthquake: tsunami warning lifted after 7.4 magnitude quake – live updates
Six people killed in Tennessee elementary school bus crash
Ukraine detains two Russian soldiers near Crimea border
Nine men found decapitated in Mexico state plagued by brutal cartel slayings
It's time to decriminalize drugs, commission report says
Russian military deploys powerful new missiles to Baltic region
Canada plans to phase out coal-powered electricity by 2030
African states fail to block United Nations' LGBT rights protector
Pope Francis cements priests' power to forgive abortion
Chinese authorities make perilous cliff-face school run safer
Bolivia declares state of emergency over worst drought in 25 years
Historian finds German decree banishing Trump's grandfather
Hamburg to name street after Germany's most famous dominatrix
Nigel Farage would be great UK ambassador to US, says Trump
Nazis on retreat: the SS holiday camp near Auschwitz – in pictures
People-smuggling suspect says man on trial in Italy is not him
La escuela mexicana de música a orillas de un basurero municipal
Waiting for Glodok: the ghost street haunted by Indonesia’s riots
Pertanyaan paling sulit di Jakarta: “Sekolah mana yang Anda pilih untuk anak Anda?”
Three years after Euromaidan, how young Ukrainians see the future
Tiny island of Caldey records first crime as visitor hits 'naughty boy'
Electoral Commission investigates Ukip over 'impermissible donations'
Japan struck by 7.4 magnitude earthquake – video report
Rodney Culleton referred to Queensland police over 'threatening' letter to magistrate
Turkey withdraws child-sex assault bill after protests
Fury at Turkish bill to clear men of child sex assault if they marry victims
Fukushima: tsunami waves hit after 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Japan
Access to Nauru detention centre granted to Sky News film crew
China motorway pile-up kills 17 as dozens of vehicles crash
Japan earthquake: tsunami waves surge up river – video
Turmoil in east Asia: sensitive moment for region unsettled by Trump
Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen fined for video seatbelt blunder
Cyprus reunification: leaders leave Switzerland without deal
Moment 7.4 earthquake strikes Japan's Iwaki City – video
Fukushima residents urged to flee as 7.4 magnitude quake hits Japan – video
Trump did not ask Argentina's president for business favor, spokesman says
Sarkozy's family rally round on social media after primary defeat
Can anything stop Merkel winning a fourth term as chancellor?
US names Syrian generals and officers accused of attacks on civilians
'Sharia police' street patrols did not violate law, German court rules
'Sexist' men more likely to have mental health issues, study finds
UK woman jailed in Iran at 'breaking point' after starting hunger strike
Hitler salutes and white supremacism: a weekend with the 'alt-right'
Suspect's date tattoo could be a clue in murder hunt
$40bn to save Jakarta: the story of the Great Garuda
The most loaded question in Jakarta: 'What school would you like to go to?'
Jakarta's hooligan problem: violence and deaths surround 'Jakmania' football fans
How UK trade policies could help heal global healthcare inequalities | Ruth Bergan and Natalie Sharples
Sarkozy’s out – but Marine Le Pen isn’t a shoo-in for the French presidency | Mary Dejevsky
French politicians are now marching to Marine Le Pen’s immigration tune | Philippe Marlière
Barry trailer: Netflix film examines Barack Obama's time as college student
Police blast Standing Rock protesters with water cannon and rubber bullets – video
Donald Trump’s grandfather fought expulsion from Germany, letter reveals – video report
Standing Rock protesters hit with water cannon – video

Trump to withdraw from Trans-Pacific Partnership on first day in office

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:01 AM PST

President-elect says he will leave TPP, with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe warning trade deal would be 'meaningless' without US

What is the TPP and is it over? The Guardian briefing

Donald Trump has issued a video outlining his policy plans for his first 100 days in office and vowing to issue a note of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership "from day one".

Trump cabinet contender accidentally unveils hardline anti-refugee proposals

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:52 PM PST

Kris Kobach, Kansas's secretary of state, photographed entering meeting with documents proposing ban of Syrian refugees and national Muslim registry

One of the possible candidates to serve in Donald Trump's cabinet has been photographed carrying documents into a meeting with the president-elect that outlined aggressive proposals to bar the entry of Syrian refugees and reinstate a national registry focused on Muslims.

Kris Kobach, currently the secretary of state of Kansas, met with Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Sunday as part of an ongoing series of conversations aimed at filling key roles in the pending administration. Kobach has been rumored to be on the shortlist for different cabinet positions, but based on the documents captured on camera by the Associated Press he might be in the running to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Fillon calls for 'transformation' after first-round win in French primary

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 12:31 PM PST

Former PM sets out proposals, including cutting 500,000 public sector jobs, ahead of runoff with Alain Juppé to become centre-right's presidential candidate

The surprise victor of the first round of France's centre-right presidential primary has called for a "profound change and transformation" in the country, a day after seeing off former president Nicolas Sarkozy in the battle to become candidate for the Elysée palace.

Speaking on Monday night, François Fillon, a former prime minister who won 44% of the vote in Sunday's first-round primary, denied his victory was an "outsider's revenge" against his rivals, Sarkozy and Alain Juppé.

India allows 250,000-rupee withdrawals for wedding expenses

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:18 AM PST

As country grapples with chaotic abolition of high-value notes, central bank says cash can be taken out if there is proof of wedding

India's central bank has said people can withdraw up to 250,000 rupees (£2,900) for wedding-related expenses, provided they submit adequate proof and the wedding is on or before 30 December.

The cash withdrawals would be allowed out of the account balance as its stood on close of business on 8 November, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement on Monday.

Japan earthquake: tsunami warning lifted after 7.4 magnitude quake – live updates

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:43 PM PST

Full report: Japan hit by 7.4 magnitude earthquake
Tsunami waves arrive along the Fukushima coast
Are you in the earthquake zone? Contact @Claire_Phipps

6.42am GMT

6.28am GMT

This graphic shows how shaking from the magnitude 7.4 quake rippled across Japan from 5.59am local time:

Map showing local ground acceleration as quake propagated. pic.twitter.com/x6GHiy7wKq (via @eqalarm)

Six people killed in Tennessee elementary school bus crash

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 12:17 AM PST

Chattanooga police said they would not identify the students who died until parents were notified. Twenty-three children were brought to hospitals, officials said

Six people were killed Monday when a Chattanooga, Tennessee school bus with 35 young children aboard crashed, turned on its side and wrapped around a tree, according to the district attorney.

Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston told media outlets that five people died at the scene and one died at the hospital. Melydia Clewell, spokeswoman for the district attorney, confirmed the number.

Ukraine detains two Russian soldiers near Crimea border

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:49 PM PST

Russia claimed servicemen were captured in Crimea while Ukrainian authorities said the soldiers were army deserters seized on their territory

Ukrainian security services have detained two Russian soldiers near the border with Crimea, with Ukraine saying the men were deserters from the Ukrainian army detained on Ukrainian-controlled territory and Russia saying they were seized in Crimea.

Nine men found decapitated in Mexico state plagued by brutal cartel slayings

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:42 PM PST

Discovery of bodies with 'visible signs of torture' brings the number of dead found over the weekend in the state of Guerrero to 14

The decapitated bodies and heads of nine men have been found dumped on a roadside in the Mexican state of Guerrero, prosecutors said, bringing the number of bodies found over the weekend in the state to 14.

Roberto Álvarez, the state security spokesman, issued a statement on Monday saying the nine bodies showed "visible signs of torture".

It's time to decriminalize drugs, commission report says

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 10:52 AM PST

Global Commission on Drug Policy's annual report calls for end to criminal and civil penalties for possession and use and more research into regulatory models

World leaders called for the decriminalization of drugs on Monday, in a report released by a commission that includes the former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and former presidents of Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.

The Global Commission on Drug Policy's annual report recommended that countries should end civil and criminal penalties for drug use and possession in a report that follows the commission's sharp criticism of the UN's lackluster effort to combat drug abuse. Commission member Richard Branson, head of the Virgin group, called the UN's latest meeting on drug policy "fatally flawed" in April.

Russian military deploys powerful new missiles to Baltic region

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:41 AM PST

Bastion launchers put on duty in Kaliningrad exclave that borders Poland and Lithuania, according to reports

The Russian military has deployed state-of-the art anti-shipping missiles in the country's westernmost Baltic region, the Interfax news agency has reported, a move that comes amid rising tensions in ties between Russia and the west.

The military has put Bastion missile launchers on duty in the Kaliningrad exclave that borders the Nato members Poland and Lithuania, Interfax said. The Russian defence ministry said over the weekend that the Baltic fleet was rearming itself with new missile launchers, but did not elaborate. The ministry had no immediate comment on the Interfax report.

Canada plans to phase out coal-powered electricity by 2030

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:43 AM PST

Environment minister's goal to make 90% of Canada's electricity come from sustainable sources starkly contrasts Trump's pledge to revive US coal industry

Canada has announced plans to phase out the use of coal-fired electricity by 2030.

The move is in stark contrast to President-elect Donald Trump's vow to revive the American coal industry.

African states fail to block United Nations' LGBT rights protector

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 10:49 AM PST

African states put forward resolution to suspend work of independent investigator position created in June, but western countries blocked it

African states have failed to halt the work of the first UN independent investigator appointed to help protect gay and transgender people worldwide from violence and discrimination.

The 47-member UN Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, created the position in June and in September appointed Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand, who has a three-year mandate to investigate abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.

Pope Francis cements priests' power to forgive abortion

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 07:43 AM PST

Pontiff indefinitely extends priests' right to grant forgiveness for what church considers 'grave sin'

Pope Francis has given all priests the power to forgive women who have had an abortion, saying the procedure was a "grave sin" but one that God's mercy could wipe away for those with a repentant heart.

The move, announced in a letter to mark the end of the Vatican's holy year of mercy, was a powerful reminder of Francis's desire to focus his papacy on forgiveness, even as he faces an unprecedented backlash from traditionalists within the church who believe the he has gone too far on sensitive issues such as divorce, and now abortion.

Chinese authorities make perilous cliff-face school run safer

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 09:02 AM PST

New metal ladder installed on side of mountain has cut journey time by an hour for schoolchildren in Atuler, Sichuan

Authorities in south-west China have come to the aid of schoolchildren who had to climb an 800m cliff to get to and from school – by installing a thin steel ladder at the site.

Atuler, a mountainside hamlet nicknamed "cliff village", is located on a plateau in the Chinese province of Sichuan and is home to the Yi people, a minority ethnic group also found in Vietnam and Thailand.

Bolivia declares state of emergency over worst drought in 25 years

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 09:14 AM PST

President Evo Morales called for local governments to use funds to drill wells and transport water to families and farmers affected by shortages

Bolivia's government has declared a state of emergency over the worst drought in 25 years, making funds available to alleviate a crisis that has affected families and the agricultural sector.

The vice-ministry of civil defense estimated that the drought has affected 125,000 families and threatened 290,000 hectares (716,605 acres) of agricultural land and 360,000 heads of cattle.

Historian finds German decree banishing Trump's grandfather

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 08:04 AM PST

Royal decree ordered Friedrich Trump to leave Bavaria and never come back after he failed to do military service

A historian has discovered a royal decree issued to Donald Trump's grandfather ordering him to leave Germany and never come back.

Friedrich Trump, a German, was issued with the document in February 1905, and ordered to leave the kingdom of Bavaria within eight weeks as punishment for having failed to do mandatory military service and failing to give authorities notice of his departure to the US when he first emigrated in 1885.

Hamburg to name street after Germany's most famous dominatrix

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 09:07 AM PST

Domenica Niehoff, who died in 2009, was a one-time prostitute who became famous campaigning for sex workers' rights

Authorities in Hamburg are to name a street after Germany's most famous dominatrix.

Domenica Niehoff, who died in 2009, was a former prostitute who became famous in the 1980s by campaigning for sex workers' rights. She also worked to help women struggling with drug addiction.

Nigel Farage would be great UK ambassador to US, says Trump

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:09 AM PST

Ukip leader says he is flattered by 'bolt from the blue' but No 10 says there is no vacancy for key role

The US president-elect, Donald Trump, has suggested that Nigel Farage, the controversial leader of the United Kingdom Independence party, should be the UK's ambassador to the US.

"Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States," Trump tweeted on Monday evening. "He would do a great job!"

Nazis on retreat: the SS holiday camp near Auschwitz – in pictures

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:00 AM PST

When author William Ryan came across photos of Nazi criminals at a luxury retreat just a few miles from Auschwitz, he was inspired to write his novel The Constant Soldier, about the last days of the war as seen from a holiday hut

People-smuggling suspect says man on trial in Italy is not him

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 01:53 AM PST

Exclusive: Private post from account of 'Medhanie Yehdego' adds to doubts over case against Eritrean in custody in Sicily

A man believed to be one of the world's most wanted people smugglers, whom British police claimed to have helped to arrest and extradite to Italy, seems to have said this week that he remains at large and that an innocent man was seized and extradited in his place.

In private messages sent from his Facebook account and later seen by the Guardian, Medhanie Yehdego Mered said that another Eritrean man facing trial on Tuesday in Sicily, accused of being Mered, is in fact the victim of mistaken identity.

La escuela mexicana de música a orillas de un basurero municipal

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 01:41 AM PST

Jóvenes músicos del barrio improvisado de Vicente Guerrero en Oaxaca han desafiado los pronósticos para ofrecer esperanza a su comunidad asolada

Read this article in English

Un buen sábado por la mañana, la escuela de música en Vicente Guerrero está llena de alboroto y entusiasmo con las preparaciones para el concierto debut de su orquestra de cámara: en una esquina en la sombra, un grupo de clarinetistas de nuevo cuño están practicando ejercicios de respiración; en el patio, la sección de cello está ensayando escalas; en las cercanías, se lleva a cabo una lección de flauta para cinco niñas estudiantes.

Lo que llama tanto la atención en este muy idílico escenario es la ubicación de Vicente Guerrero a orillas de un gran basurero. La comunidad, situada en uno de los estados más pobres de México, tiene fama por drogadicción y violencia de pandillas. Pero actualmente está viviendo una transformación, luego de que un encuentro fortuito con una piloto francesa ayudara a lanzar una aventura musical que ofrece una rara esperanza a su juventud.

Waiting for Glodok: the ghost street haunted by Indonesia’s riots

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 01:18 AM PST

After the riots in 1998 spread to the Chinatown area of Jakarta, many Chinese-Indonesians fled. What's left is a street of boarded-up memories

During the Chinatown riots of 1998, shopkeeper Tjie Thian Siak was lucky to escape harm. The mobs were more interested in looting electronics, raiding banks and burning tyres than they were in stealing house paint from his small store.

When the violence stopped, Siak, now 69, decided to stay in the neighbourhood. But he says many of the Chinese-Indonesian families who ran furniture stores here left and never came back.

Pertanyaan paling sulit di Jakarta: “Sekolah mana yang Anda pilih untuk anak Anda?”

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 01:07 AM PST

Eka Kurniawan –penulis Indonesia pertama yang dinominasikan sebagai penerima the Booker prize –bersekolah di desa dan memiliki kebebasan sebagai anak-anak. Tapi memilih sekolah bagi anak perempuannya, tulisnya, menyibak dilema kelas menengah Jakarta

Bahkan ketika anak saya baru berumur tiga tahun, pertanyaan ini sudah datang bertubi-tubi dari orang-orang yang saya kenal, termasuk tetangga:

"Kenapa Kinan belum sekolah?"

Three years after Euromaidan, how young Ukrainians see the future

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:00 PM PST

Millennials reflect on Russia's annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine – and what happens next

It's been three years since protesters gathered on the streets of Kiev to demand an end to a government they believed was no longer fit for purpose.

The demonstration triggered a chain of events that led to Russia annexing Crimea and war in eastern Ukraine. Thousands have been killed and 1.5 million people displaced.

Tiny island of Caldey records first crime as visitor hits 'naughty boy'

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:07 AM PST

Father's treatment of seven-year-old after tour of chocolate-making area troubles monks proud of island's quiet living

A tiny island off the Welsh coast famed for its order of perfume-making monks and sense of tranquility has suffered its first crime in living memory.

Police were called to Caldey Island (population 40) off Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales after an incident at the chocolate makers.

Electoral Commission investigates Ukip over 'impermissible donations'

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:02 AM PST

Watchdog says it is investigating whether Ukip accepted impermissible donations from European political grouping

The Electoral Commission has begun an investigation into whether Ukip broke election funding laws by apparently using money from a European parliament group to fund Nigel Farage's failed attempt to win a seat, and in the Brexit referendum.

The elections watchdog announced the move in the wake of a ruling by senior MEPs on Monday night that a Ukip-dominated group in the European parliament misspent more than half a million euros (£427,000) of taxpayers' money.

Japan struck by 7.4 magnitude earthquake – video report

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:05 AM PST

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Iwaki city on the coast of Fukushima on Tuesday. Tsunami evacuation sirens are heard as fishing boats leave the Japanese port to avoid tsunami waves. Tsunami waves at Sendai port were recorded at 1.4m high. There are warnings of another large quake within the next few days

Japan earthquake: tsunami warning lifted after 7.4 magnitude quake – live updates

Rodney Culleton referred to Queensland police over 'threatening' letter to magistrate

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:04 AM PST

Queensland attorney-general asks police to consider letter Culleton allegedly sent to Cairns magistrate amid concerns it threatened a judicial officer

One Nation senator Rodney Culleton has been referred to police after a letter he allegedly sent to a Cairns magistrate prompted concerns in judicial ranks of a possible attempt to pervert the course of justice and threaten a judicial officer.

The Queensland attorney general, Yvette D'Ath, referred the matter to police commissioner Ian Stewart on Monday after the state's chief magistrate, Ray Rinaudo, expressed concern the letter could trigger the offences.

Turkey withdraws child-sex assault bill after protests

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 12:33 AM PST

Rare concession to popular will after critics said releasing offenders from jail if they married their victims would legitimise rape

Turkey's government is to withdraw a bill that could overturn men's convictions for child-sex assault after a public backlash, the prime minister, Binali Yıldırım, has said.

Critics had said the bill – which would allow the release from jail of sex assault convicts if they marry their victims – would legitimise rape. Thousands of people protested against the bill at the weekend.

Fury at Turkish bill to clear men of child sex assault if they marry victims

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 12:14 AM PST

Government says legislation is aimed at custom of child marriages

A bill in Turkey that would overturn men's convictions for child sex assault if they married their victim has provoked fury, with critics accusing the government of encouraging rape of minors with the proposals.

The opposition, celebrities, and even an association whose deputy chairman is the daughter of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed alarm over the move.

Fukushima: tsunami waves hit after 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Japan

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:35 PM PST

Tsunami warning for waves up to 3 meters issued on northern Pacific coast
Epicentre off coast of Fukushima prefecture, also impacted by 2011 tsunami
Japan earthquake: follow developments live

Japan has lifted all tsunami warnings issued after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the country's east coast, as the risk of major damage appeared to pass.

The quake, which struck east of Fukushima prefecture at about 6am on Tuesday, prompted urgent warnings for people to leave low-lying areas in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures as a series of tsunami waves hit the shore.

Access to Nauru detention centre granted to Sky News film crew

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 10:46 PM PST

Asylum seekers say they've seen reporting team around the Australian-run immigration centre on island where media access is tightly controlled

A reporting team from Sky News has been granted access to film at the Australian-run immigration centre on Nauru.

Asylum seekers and refugees on the island had been reporting since Monday that they had seen media around the area.

China motorway pile-up kills 17 as dozens of vehicles crash

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 10:46 PM PST

Crushed and burnt-out wrecks at scene of accident involving cars and lorries that occurred during rain and snowy weather in Shanxi province

A huge pile-up on a Chinese motorway killed at least 17 people when a total of 56 vehicles crashed into each other in winter weather, state media said.

The accident happened in snow and rainy weather in the northern province of Shanxi, on an expressway linking Beijing with Kunming, Xinhua reported.

Japan earthquake: tsunami waves surge up river – video

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 09:56 PM PST

Tsunami waves were filmed on the Sunaoshi river in Tagajo city after a quake of magnitude 7.4 shook Japan's eastern coast, prompting evacuation warnings

Turmoil in east Asia: sensitive moment for region unsettled by Trump

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 09:54 PM PST

With Japan distracted by worries over security and South Korea in political turmoil, North Korea's missile development programmes advance unchecked

Political turmoil in South Korea, where President Park Geun-hye is facing noisy calls for her impeachment, comes at a particularly sensitive moment for security in east Asia, where North Korea's menacing nuclear weapons and missile development programmes are advancing unchecked.

Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen fined for video seatbelt blunder

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 09:49 PM PST

Test cricketers Warne, Pietersen and Michael Slater each fined $300 after Warne posted video on Facebook showing them unbuckled

Former Test cricketers Shane Warne, Michael Slater and Kevin Pietersen must pay up after failing to buckle up during a recent visit to Hobart.

Tasmanian police on Tuesday confirmed they had issued an infringement notice to the trio – a 47-year-old from Victoria, a 46-year-old from New South Wales and a 36-year-old from the UK – which will cost them $300 each (£175).

Cyprus reunification: leaders leave Switzerland without deal

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 07:49 PM PST

Two sides struggling with boundaries for a future federation consisting of Greek-speaking and Turkish-speaking states

Talks between rival leaders on ending Cyprus's 42-year-old division have once again ended without agreement, the United Nations has announced.

The Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mustafa Akinci met on the shores of Lake Geneva since Sunday in the second round of talks this month. The UN announced on Tuesday that the talks had broken up.

Moment 7.4 earthquake strikes Japan's Iwaki City – video

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 05:54 PM PST

Footage from Japanese broadcaster NHK shows the moment a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the port area of Iwaki city. Shortly later the tsunami evacuation sirens can be heard as fishing boats leave the port in order to avoid damaging tsunami waves. Japan's eastern coast was hit by a series of tidal waves after the earthquake, which struck at 5.59am off the coast of Fukushima at a depth of about 25km.

Fukushima residents urged to flee as 7.4 magnitude quake hits Japan – video

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 03:19 PM PST

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 has hit northern Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency says, in televised tsunami advisories issued for much of the nation's northern Pacific coast. The epicentre of the earthquake, which was felt in Tokyo, was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture, the agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury
• Japan earthquake: follow developments live

Trump did not ask Argentina's president for business favor, spokesman says

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 01:18 PM PST

Local media reports alleged US president-elect asked Mauricio Macri, a longtime business acquaintance, for help with his stalled office project in Buenos Aires

A spokesman for Argentina's president has denied that Donald Trump asked for a business favour when Mauricio Macri called the US president-elect to congratulate him on his victory.

Local media reports have alleged that Trump asked Macri for help over a stalled construction permit for a 35-storey project called Trump Office in downtown Buenos Aires. A source told the Guardian that the information came from Macri's staff.

Sarkozy's family rally round on social media after primary defeat

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:34 AM PST

Former president's wife, Carla Bruni, posts message of support on Instagram, while son chimes in on Facebook

The former French leader Nicolas Sarkozy became a figure of fun for some when he was eliminated in the first round of his party's presidential primaries. He does, however, retain the backing of those closest to him.

In the aftermath of his downfall, Sarkozy's wife, Carla Bruni, posted a message of support on Instagram, while his youngest son, Louis, sent his own on Facebook.

Can anything stop Merkel winning a fourth term as chancellor?

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 10:47 AM PST

Why a yearning for stability is likely to overcome any taste for adventure when Germany goes to the polls next year

When Angela Merkel stepped on to the podium at her party headquarters on Sunday night to announce she would run for a fourth term in 2017, the message the German chancellor projected to the outside world was that, in a world of political upheavals, she would remain a constant.

Yet the internal party debates that culminated in her announcement have made one thing clear: if Merkel wants to match the records set by her predecessors Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl and be elected to a fourth term in office, much will need to change.

US names Syrian generals and officers accused of attacks on civilians

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 10:08 AM PST

Military commanders were involved in 'killing and injuring civilians' since 2011 with assaults on schools, hospitals and homes, says US ambassador

The US has named a dozen Syrian generals and colonels it said were responsible for bombing civilians and the torture of detainees, warning the officers will eventually be held accountable for their actions.

'Sharia police' street patrols did not violate law, German court rules

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 09:58 AM PST

Ultra-conservative Muslim group, wearing orange vests, told people in city of Wuppertal not to drink or play games for money in 2014

A German court has ruled that a group of Islamists did not break the law in forming "sharia police" street patrols and telling people to stop drinking, gambling and listening to music.

The ultra-conservative Muslim group around the German Salafist convert Sven Lau sparked public outrage with their vigilante patrols in the western city of Wuppertal in 2014, but prosecutors have struggled to build a case against them.

'Sexist' men more likely to have mental health issues, study finds

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 09:51 AM PST

Analysis of more than 70 US-based studies conducted over 11 years found links between misogynistic, 'playboy' behavior and depression and substance use

Men who behave like promiscuous playboys or feel powerful over women are more likely to have mental health problems than men with less sexist attitudes, according to a study released on Monday.

The analysis found links between sexist behavior and mental health issues such as depression and substance use, said the study in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.

UK woman jailed in Iran at 'breaking point' after starting hunger strike

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 08:20 AM PST

Husband and colleagues of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe express alarm over her deteriorating health in Evin prison

A British-Iranian woman serving a five-year jail sentence in Iran is at breaking point after going on hunger strike in protest against her incarceration, according to her husband.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, is being held at Tehran's Evin prison. In September she was found guilty of offences relating to national security, but the precise reason for her arrest has not been clarified.

Hitler salutes and white supremacism: a weekend with the 'alt-right'

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 08:06 AM PST

The 'alt-right' conference in Washington wasn't a gathering of a forgotten white working class. It was a white nationalist movement buoyed by millennials

Some of the most prominent members of the so-called "alt-right", the white nationalist movement that helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency, gathered in Washington DC on Saturday to plot how the movement can "start influencing policy and culture" under the Trump administration.

There was a celebratory mood as Richard Spencer, the president of the National Policy Institute, a nationalist thinktank which hosted the day-long conference, talked about how the "alt-right" would be an "intellectual vanguard" for Trump and the rightwing at large.

Suspect's date tattoo could be a clue in murder hunt

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 04:23 AM PST

German man alleged to have killed his partner had a date drawn on his arm that could indicate when she died

Spanish police who arrested a German man suspected of murdering his girlfriend found a tattoo on his arm bearing her name, date of birth and another date that may indicate her date of death.

$40bn to save Jakarta: the story of the Great Garuda

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:39 PM PST

Forget Venice. The fastest-sinking city is the Indonesian capital, parts of which are dropping at 25cm a year. Can an outlandish plan for a giant seawall and luxury waterworld city in the shape of a mythical bird save Jakarta from drowning?

With her hand stretched upward, the elderly storekeeper in batik dress and white headscarf indicates the height of the waters that poured into her home in Jakarta's great flood of 2007. Sukaesih is a diminutive figure, but she points to a ridge on the doorframe about two metres above the threshold.

The 60-year-old grandmother, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, lives in the down-at-heel waterfront neighbourhood of Maura Baru. Her front room-turned-store, where she sells soft drinks and the clove kretek cigarettes beloved of locals, looks unassuming, but is at ground zero for the city's battle for survival.

The most loaded question in Jakarta: 'What school would you like to go to?'

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 06:50 PM PST

Author Eka Kurniawan – the first Indonesian nominated for the Booker prize – went to school in the countryside and had freedom as a child. But choosing a school for his daughter, he writes, has exposed Jakarta's middle-class hysteria

Baca artikel ini dalam bahasa Indonesia di sini

When my daughter was three years old, my neighbours and acquaintances began to ask:

"Why isn't Kinan going to school yet?"

Jakarta's hooligan problem: violence and deaths surround 'Jakmania' football fans

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 04:12 AM PST

Indonesian football is plagued by hooliganism, and at the forefront are fans of Jakarta's leading club, Persija. Known as Jakmania, they have been involved in a series of deadly incidents – but can this violent tendency ever be tamed?

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Earlier this month, 16 buses full of hundreds of "Jakmania" – the nickname for fanatical supporters of Persija, Jakarta's leading football club – were travelling in a convoy near the town of Palimanan in West Java.

With their trademark orange uniforms and flags, the fans (both official and unofficial members of Jakmania) had just finished cheering on their team against arch-rivals Persib Bandung – a club based in the city three hours from the Indonesian capital.

How UK trade policies could help heal global healthcare inequalities | Ruth Bergan and Natalie Sharples

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 11:00 PM PST

One third of the population cannot access essential medicines. Leaders must push for trade deals that drive down the cost of healthcare for the world's poorest

Theresa May's recent visit to India, during which discussions about cooperation over trade in health services were a priority, is a reminder that trade and investment cannot be isolated from other areas of policy.

Key among these is universal health coverage – the provision of quality medical services to all people when they need them, without causing financial hardship. This is a concept that is having its moment: it is championed by everyone from health activists to the World Bank, and is one of the targets in the sustainable development goals.

Sarkozy’s out – but Marine Le Pen isn’t a shoo-in for the French presidency | Mary Dejevsky

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 04:01 AM PST

The populist trend in politics and uninspiring opponents are working in favour of the National Front leader. But better challengers may be waiting in the wings

Nicolas Sarkozy went into the centre-right Republican party's first ever presidential primary as favourite. A past president, a fiery orator, and the closest – in language and in his focus on "identity" – to the National Front leader, Marine Le Pen, he was widely seen as the one most likely to compete with her on her own terms in the election proper, and win.

French politicians are now marching to Marine Le Pen’s immigration tune | Philippe Marlière

Posted: 19 Nov 2016 04:05 PM PST

As the mood darkens in Europe, French opposition to migration now extends to a category of EU worker

The first round of the French presidential election is five months away, yet France is already in political turmoil. There are several reasons. First, François Hollande, the incumbent president, is so weak and discredited that some expect him to pull out of the race altogether. This would be an unprecedented move for a president in office.

Second, Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National, is going from strength to strength. She is consistently polling at more than 20% of the share of the vote (against 17.9% in 2012) and seems guaranteed to make it to the second and decisive round of next year's presidential elections. What's more, Le Pen's rise has been directly affecting her opponents across the political spectrum.

Barry trailer: Netflix film examines Barack Obama's time as college student

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 04:21 PM PST

As the US president prepares to leave office on 20 January, Netflix has delved into his past for a biopic based around his life as a student at Columbia University. The Australian actor Devon Terrell plays the 20-year-old Obama in the film, which is directed by Vice on HBO host and documentarian Vikram Gandhi. Barry depicts Obama navigating questions of race and identity in America in the early 1980s.

• When Barack met Michelle: the presidential biopic as love story

Police blast Standing Rock protesters with water cannon and rubber bullets – video

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 01:43 PM PST

Morton County police use teargas, a water cannon and rubber bullets against demonstrators from Standing Rock in North Dakota on Sunday night. Protesters braved freezing conditions and percussion grenades as they resisted the controversial pipeline with chants of 'water not oil'. The company working on the pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners, has almost completed the system, but lack the permission to drill under the river

Donald Trump’s grandfather fought expulsion from Germany, letter reveals – video report

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 10:48 AM PST

A letter discovered in the Landesarchiv in Speyer, Germany, has revealed that Friedrich Trump, German grandfather to President-elect Donald Trump attempted to fight his expulsion from his home-town of Kallstadt, then a part of Bavaria, in 1905 for failing to do military service. The letter found is a plea from Friedrich Trump sent to Prince Regent Luitpold asking to be allowed to remain. Trump had migrated to the US in 1885, aged 16, so missed national service. This caused to his request to be denied by a royal decree

Historian finds German decree banishing Trump's grandfather

Standing Rock protesters hit with water cannon – video

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 03:32 AM PST

Police at Standing Rock, North Dakota, fire water cannon at activists protesting against the Dakota Access Pipeline during sub-zero temperatures. Teargas was also fired at demonstrators. The Indigenous Environmental Network said seven were taken to hospital. This footage was originally posted on the Digital Smoke Signals Facebook page

Standing Rock protest: hundreds clash with police over Dakota Access Pipeline

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World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

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