World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Nato chief tells EU: spend more to secure Trump's support
- Jill Stein raises over $2m to request US election recounts in battleground states
- 'Yes we cran': Barack Obama pardons Thanksgiving turkeys one last time
- Egypt unearths 7,000-year-old lost city
- Israeli police to probe alleged Netanyahu submarine scandal
- Venezuela's opposition says Vatican-brokered talks are 'frozen'
- Nikki Haley chosen to serve as Donald Trump's US ambassador to United Nations
- Egypt to hold mass trial of suspected Islamic State militants
- Belief in Santa could affect parent-child relationships, warns study
- Facebook developed secret software to censor user posts in China, report says
- Handwritten Anne Frank poem sells at auction for £119,000
- Germany amused by François Fillon brochure's cold war map
- Texas bill could force teachers to out students to parents, LGBT activists fear
- Dismay as Alzheimer's drug fails in clinical trials
- Slovakia's PM calls journalists 'dirty anti-Slovak prostitutes'
- Trump to scrap Nasa climate research in crackdown on ‘politicized science’
- India's rape problem is exaggerated, says minister for women
- Jamaica police commit 'hundreds of unlawful killings' yearly, Amnesty says
- Irish trade unions call for referendum on abortion rights
- Footage appears to show Justin Bieber punch a fan who reached into car
- Ukraine appoints law graduate, 23, to lead purge campaign
- Civilians killed in two days of fighting in Central African Republic
- How can I protect myself from government snoopers?
- Tokyo sees first November snow in more than 50 years
- 'Ours are the hands and faces of slavery': the exploitation of migrants in Sicily | Lorenzo Tondo
- The Riviera Set by Mary S Lovell review – Churchill by the pool
- Western Saharan refugee women use film in liberation struggle – video
- How Ghana's top fantasy coffin artist has put the fun in funeral
- Philip Hammond defends 'doom and gloom' Brexit forecast
- Bahrain drops charges against politician held after Prince Charles visit
- Peru declares state of emergency over deadly forest fires
- 'Anglican house is burning,' bishop tells abuse inquiry
- Eyewitness: Royal Opera House, London
- Britain's far right in 2016: fractured, unpredictable, dispirited … and violent
- Rohingya flee to Bangladesh to escape Myanmar military strikes
- Colombia to sign new peace deal with Farc rebels despite ongoing objections
- China will defend trade rights in face of Trump tariff threats, says official
- UN celebrates refugees' contributions to Australian society – video
- Piecing back together an Iraqi archaeological gem blown sky-high by Isis
- Dozens of workers dead in China power plant collapse
- Death row: the lawyer who keeps losing
- Tokyo gets first November snow in over 50 years – video
- Hurricane Otto: Costa Rica declares national emergency as storm heads for coast
- Jamie Murphy told powder would make him feel better, says Kuta police chief – video
- US 'troubled' over Malaysia's detention of activist and Najib critic
- Iceland in election stalemate as Left Greens coalition bid fails
- Hammond seeks productivity boost with £2.6bn for transport
- Missing British pilot of 1940s plane found in Africa after search
- Australian teen Jamie Murphy walks free in Bali after negative drug test
- Cambodian surrogacy crackdown: move to reassure pregnant women and families
- Ebola nurse Donna Wood could be struck off over Cafferkey screening
- Kuril islands missiles should not spoil Putin's visit, Russia tells Japan
- How François Fillon became the French right's new hope
- Alexander Litvinenko’s widow criticises ‘silence’ over his murder
- Inside the bubble: the air-conditioned alternate reality of Jakarta's megamalls
- Dalam gelembung: realitas lain mega mal Jakarta yang berpendingin
- $40M untuk menyelamatkan Jakarta: kisah sang Garuda Perkasa
- Shops in trees: Jakarta's improvised street life – in pictures
- The world's worst traffic: can Jakarta find an alternative to the car?
- India accused of muzzling NGOs by blocking foreign funding
- Outrage over two-year sentence for HIV-positive Malawi 'hyena'
- Innovations fund aims to save women and newborn babies in Africa
- Donald Trump's Thanksgiving message: 'Tensions just don't heal overnight' – video
- Obama pardons turkey for last time as president – video
- Fireball streaks across Florida sky – video
| Nato chief tells EU: spend more to secure Trump's support Posted: 23 Nov 2016 11:52 AM PST Jens Stoltenberg urges European countries to follow UK's example by spending at least 2% of GDP on defence Donald Trump is more likely to keep America committed to Nato if more European countries follow the UK's lead and increase their defence spending, Nato's secretary general has said after talks with the British prime minister, Theresa May. With Trump casting doubt on the value of Nato during the presidential election campaign, the secretary general of the transatlantic defence organisation, Jens Stoltenberg, called on countries to hand over more cash to secure the "transatlantic bond". Continue reading... |
| Jill Stein raises over $2m to request US election recounts in battleground states Posted: 24 Nov 2016 02:07 AM PST Green party presidential candidate seeks donations to fund efforts in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin over 'compelling evidence of voting anomalies' Jill Stein, the Green party's presidential candidate, is prepared to request recounts of the election result in several key battleground states, her campaign said on Wednesday. Stein launched an online fundraising page seeking donations toward a multimillion-dollar fund she said was needed to request reviews of the results in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Continue reading... |
| 'Yes we cran': Barack Obama pardons Thanksgiving turkeys one last time Posted: 23 Nov 2016 02:40 PM PST The president's nephews stood in for Sasha and Malia as his irreverent sounding board for 'corny-copia of dad jokes' and puns in final ceremony as president "Look, I know there are some bad ones in here, but this is the last time I'm doing this, so we're not leaving any room for leftovers," said the president of the United States, commander-in-chief and most powerful man in the world. Yawn! said Austin Robinson, six-year-old nephew of Barack Obama, standing at the president's side in a blue and grey sweater. Continue reading... |
| Egypt unearths 7,000-year-old lost city Posted: 23 Nov 2016 08:56 AM PST Archaeologists discover huts, tools and 15 huge graves dating from first dynasty period in Sohag province Egypt has unearthed a city more than 7,000 years old and a cemetery dating back to its first dynasty in the southern province of Sohag, the antiquities ministry has said. The find could be a boon for Egypt's ailing tourism industry, which has suffered a series of setbacks since the uprising that toppled the autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, but remains a vital source of foreign currency. Continue reading... |
| Israeli police to probe alleged Netanyahu submarine scandal Posted: 23 Nov 2016 12:52 PM PST Investigation ordered into allegations about involvement of prime minister's lawyer in defence procurement deal Israel's most senior law officer has ordered an investigation into an alleged scandal involving one of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest confidants over a controversial deal to buy German submarines. The affair – which has dominated Israeli headlines for days – involves allegations of a serious conflict of interest in the purchase of the submarines. Continue reading... |
| Venezuela's opposition says Vatican-brokered talks are 'frozen' Posted: 23 Nov 2016 12:17 PM PST Opposition accuses President Nicolás Maduro of non-compliance with promise to free political prisoners as mediators scramble to save talks Venezuela's opposition has said that talks with the government were "frozen" after officials failed to attend meetings, throwing cold water on Vatican-brokered attempts to bridge the country's deep political crisis. Though the formal talks, which began last month, appeared to have led to the release of a handful of detained activists, hopes for real rapprochement were always slim. Continue reading... |
| Nikki Haley chosen to serve as Donald Trump's US ambassador to United Nations Posted: 23 Nov 2016 11:23 PM PST South Carolina governor is first female – and first non-white – cabinet-level nominee in Donald Trump's budding administration Donald Trump has chosen the first women for senior posts in his administration, announcing on Wednesday that the South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, as US ambassador to the United Nations, and Betsy DeVos as his secretary for education. Both cabinet-level positions require Senate confirmation and came amid speculation that Trump was poised to nominate rival presidential candidate Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Continue reading... |
| Egypt to hold mass trial of suspected Islamic State militants Posted: 23 Nov 2016 08:16 AM PST Nearly 300 alleged Isis fighters to appear in military court, including some accused of plot to kill President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Egypt's public prosecutor is to bring nearly 300 suspected Islamic State militants before the country's military judiciary in one of the biggest trials of alleged violent extremists in recent years. The accused include members of Isis's networks in Egypt and Saudi Arabia who plotted to kill the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, and Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, officials in Cairo say. |
| Belief in Santa could affect parent-child relationships, warns study Posted: 23 Nov 2016 03:30 PM PST CAUTION: this article contains sensitive information concerning the existence of Santa Claus Spoiler alert: this article contains sensitive information about the existence of Santa Claus. Children may wish to look away now. Parents, though, are being urged to re-consider the ethics of the great Santa Claus lie. In an article published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, two psychologists have raised the spectre of children's moral compass being permanently thrown off-kilter by what is normally considered a magical part of the Christmas tradition. Continue reading... |
| Facebook developed secret software to censor user posts in China, report says Posted: 23 Nov 2016 07:08 AM PST Software developed with Mark Zuckerberg's support will allow third parties to monitor and suppress the visibility of posts Facebook has developed censorship software in an effort to get China to lift its seven-year ban on the world's largest social network, according to reports. The social network developed the software to suppress posts from appearing in users' news feeds in specific geographies with the support of the chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, according to the New York Times. The posts themselves will not be suppressed, only their visibility. Continue reading... |
| Handwritten Anne Frank poem sells at auction for £119,000 Posted: 23 Nov 2016 06:39 AM PST Auction of 12-line text in Dutch from 1942, a rare example of the young Jewish girl's handwriting for sale, took just two minutes A handwritten poem by Anne Frank, the Jewish girl who kept a diary of two years spent in hiding from the Nazis, has sold at auction for €140,000 (£119,000), more than four times its reserve price. The sale, to an unnamed online bidder, took just two minutes at the Bubb Kuyper auction house in the Dutch city of Haarlem. |
| Germany amused by François Fillon brochure's cold war map Posted: 23 Nov 2016 07:53 AM PST French presidential frontrunner's campaign booklet shows country split into east and west, 26 years after reunification German media reacted with amusement after the French presidential frontrunner François Fillon published a map in a campaign brochure that showed a divided Germany, 26 years after reunification. "Something is wrong," noted news channel N24, while conservative daily Die Welt pointed out "the embarrassing error in François Fillon's programme". Continue reading... |
| Texas bill could force teachers to out students to parents, LGBT activists fear Posted: 23 Nov 2016 08:32 AM PST State senator files bill saying parents have right to all information related to their child, saying it is intended to streamline existing state law LGBT rights activists in Texas fear that teachers will be forced to out pupils to their parents if proposed legislation becomes law next year. Konni Burton, a Republican state senator from Fort Worth, filed the bill ahead of the 2017 legislative session. It asserts that parents have the right to all records and information related to their child, from test scores to details of their physical and mental health and "any general knowledge". Continue reading... |
| Dismay as Alzheimer's drug fails in clinical trials Posted: 23 Nov 2016 06:48 AM PST Final-stage results dash hopes that solanezumab, an injectable antibody, would provide treatment breakthrough A drug that was seen as a strong contender to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease has failed to deliver in the final stage of clinical trials. The results, based on 2,000 patients with mild dementia, are a significant blow because there are currently no treatments to slow the effects of Alzheimer's. Few have made it to phase 3 trials. Continue reading... |
| Slovakia's PM calls journalists 'dirty anti-Slovak prostitutes' Posted: 23 Nov 2016 08:33 AM PST Robert Fico lashes out over questions about alleged procurement anomalies related to the country's EU presidency Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, has hit out at journalists questioning him about allegations that public procurement rules had been broken during the country's EU presidency, describing them as "dirty, anti-Slovak prostitutes". Fico has long had poor relations with media critical of him or his government, refusing questions from certain journalists and in some cases filing lawsuits. Continue reading... |
| Trump to scrap Nasa climate research in crackdown on ‘politicized science’ Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:00 PM PST Nasa's Earth science division is set to be stripped of funding as the president-elect seeks to shift focus away from home in favor of deep space exploration Donald Trump is poised to eliminate all climate change research conducted by Nasa as part of a crackdown on "politicized science", his senior adviser on issues relating to the space agency has said. Nasa's Earth science division is set to be stripped of funding in favor of exploration of deep space, with the president-elect having set a goal during the campaign to explore the entire solar system by the end of the century. Continue reading... |
| India's rape problem is exaggerated, says minister for women Posted: 23 Nov 2016 03:37 AM PST Maneka Gandhi says media stories are driving away tourists and claims country is among lowest four in the world for rape cases India's minister for women has been criticised for claiming that the country's rape and sexual violence problem is exaggerated by the media, driving away tourists. Maneka Gandhi, the minister for women and child development, told a workshop for female journalists that India ranks "among the lowest four countries in the world" for rape cases, according to a number of people in attendance. Continue reading... |
| Jamaica police commit 'hundreds of unlawful killings' yearly, Amnesty says Posted: 23 Nov 2016 07:11 AM PST Evidence gathered by human rights activists suggests state authorities order or are complicit in deaths amid 'shocking culture of fear and violence' Police officers in Jamaica carry out unlawful killings on the orders of state authorities or with their complicity, evidence gathered by Amnesty International suggests. Research by the human rights organisation points to a strong likelihood that state-sponsored executions take place in the country, a report published on Wednesday said. Continue reading... |
| Irish trade unions call for referendum on abortion rights Posted: 23 Nov 2016 04:28 AM PST Union leaders launch campaign in Dublin to demand repeal of eighth amendment, which grants foetus right to life Irish trade unions have launched a campaign for a referendum to abolish an amendment to the Irish constitution that pro-choice campaigners say prevents serious reform of strict anti-abortion laws. The leaders of some of the country's biggest unions gathered on a bridge over the river Liffey in Dublin on Wednesday morning to call for the repeal of the eighth amendment, which gives an unborn child the right to life, for the first time since it was passed more than three decades ago. |
| Footage appears to show Justin Bieber punch a fan who reached into car Posted: 23 Nov 2016 03:01 AM PST Incident seems to capture Canadian singer punching a fan who tried to reach into his car as he left gig in Barcelona Justin Bieber has been filmed appearing to punch a man who reached into the pop star's car in Barcelona following a show in the capital city. Footage of the incident shows the 22-year-old musician respond when a man tries to touch him through the open window of his moving vehicle. The video, posted online by the celebrity news website TMZ, shows the man turn to the camera to reveal a bloodied mouth. |
| Ukraine appoints law graduate, 23, to lead purge campaign Posted: 23 Nov 2016 06:23 AM PST Anna Kalynchuk's lustration department will seek out 'corrupt' officials, with justice minister saying she was chosen on merit Ukraine's justice minister has appointed a 23-year-old law graduate to lead a campaign to purge officials tainted by corruption of the ousted regime. The "lustration" move was a key demand of anti-government protests in Ukraine that culminated in the then president, Viktor Yanukovych, fleeing the country in February 2014. Continue reading... |
| Civilians killed in two days of fighting in Central African Republic Posted: 24 Nov 2016 02:15 AM PST Sixteen people, including civilians, die while 10,000 flee their homes after clashes in Bria, UN peacekeepers say Two days of fighting between armed groups in Central African Republic has left 16 people dead, including civilians, while 10,000 have fled their homes, the UN peacekeeping mission Minusca has said. The clashes took place in the town of Bria, about 375 miles (600km) north-east of the capital Bangui, and pitted the Popular Front for the Renaissance of Central African Republic against the Union for Central African People. Continue reading... |
| How can I protect myself from government snoopers? Posted: 24 Nov 2016 02:14 AM PST Now that the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 - or snooper's charter – has become law, Charles wants to protect his privacy Now that the snooper's charter has been passed, how can I protect myself? Should I use a VPN? Charles The UK has just passed the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, at the third attempt, and it will become law by the end of the year. The bill was instigated by the then home secretary, Theresa May, in 2012. It is better known as the snooper's charter. |
| Tokyo sees first November snow in more than 50 years Posted: 24 Nov 2016 01:42 AM PST Japan's capital wakes up to smattering of snow, with meteorologists forecasting up to 2cm would fall Tokyo residents have woken up to the first November snowfall in more than 50 years. The Japan Meteorological Agency also said it was the first time fallen snow on the ground had been observed in November since such records started to be made in 1875. Continue reading... |
| 'Ours are the hands and faces of slavery': the exploitation of migrants in Sicily | Lorenzo Tondo Posted: 24 Nov 2016 01:00 AM PST African migrants living in squalid tent camps are being paid derisory wages while turning huge profits for gang masters in the olive groves of western Sicily You can smell the camp before you see it. The stench of rank sewage cuts through the crisp morning air in this quiet corner of western Sicily. From a distance it looks like an open-air dump, festering amid the olive groves. Men emerge from flimsy tents pitched amid piles of rubbish and ramshackle huts made of cardboard and plastic sheets. This makeshift and filthy encampment is home to 1,200 people. All African refugees and migrants, they are desperately competing for the opportunity to work long hours in the fields as illegal agricultural workers for paltry, exploitative wages. It is autumn in Sicily. There is olive oil to be made. Continue reading... |
| The Riviera Set by Mary S Lovell review – Churchill by the pool Posted: 24 Nov 2016 01:00 AM PST The wartime PM joins other celebrities in the story of a French chateau that became a playground for the rich and famous The Riviera Set follows the lives, loves, and larks of the American actor Maxine Elliott, who infiltrated the British upper classes and from there the creme de la Eurotrash. She built the Château de l'Horizon on the French Riviera, where such people as Winston Churchill, Noël Coward and the former Edward VIII hung out. Following Elliott's death in 1940, the focus of Lovell's story shifts to the next owner of the house, Aly Khan, the playboy son of the Aga Khan, whose womanising and partying led his father to disinherit him by leaving his title to Aly's son Karim. (Khan did inherit his father's wealth.) The house itself, a pile of art deco sugar cubes that manages to be at once Romanesque and Moorish, was built in 1932 by the US architect Barry Dierks, and provided "a secluded backdrop … for an indulgent, glamorous, even decadent lifestyle which is arguably unsurpassed, and where one guest thought nothing of filling a bath" with the contents of "dozens of bottles of iced champagne to refresh her aching feet after an evening's dancing in Cannes". Continue reading... |
| Western Saharan refugee women use film in liberation struggle – video Posted: 24 Nov 2016 01:00 AM PST Annexed by Morocco more than 40 years ago, Western Sahara is known as the last colony in Africa. Iman Amrani visits the Dakhla refugee camp in Algeria, where the remote Fisahara festival is held. Women explain how they are using film activism to empower their community Continue reading... |
| How Ghana's top fantasy coffin artist has put the fun in funeral Posted: 23 Nov 2016 11:01 PM PST Accra exhibition to celebrate work of Paa Joe, the master craftsman behind some of the most extravagant caskets in the world His work has been bought by US presidents and appears in museum collections all over the world – and yet most of Paa Joe's creations are buried six feet underground. Joe, who turned 69 this week, is Ghana's most prolific coffin artist and, after five decades in the funeral industry producing some of the world's most extravagant designs, his work is being celebrated in a major exhibition in Accra. Continue reading... |
| Philip Hammond defends 'doom and gloom' Brexit forecast Posted: 24 Nov 2016 01:38 AM PST Eurosceptics dismiss OBR prediction of £59bn black hole which informed chancellor's cautious autumn statement Philip Hammond has said the government cannot ignore the £59bn black hole in the public finances directly related to Brexit, as pro-leave Tories criticised the economic forecast as overly pessimistic. Speaking after his first autumn statement, where he outlined plans for modest further borrowing to boost investment in infrastructure, Hammond said forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) for the costs of leaving the EU were based on a "a very high degree of uncertainty in the circumstances we are in". Continue reading... |
| Bahrain drops charges against politician held after Prince Charles visit Posted: 24 Nov 2016 12:46 AM PST Ebrahim Sharif was detained after giving an interview to a US news agency I reported nine days ago that the Bahraini authorities had arrested politician Ebrahim Sharif following a visit to Bahrain by Prince Charles. He was charged with "inciting hatred" against the Gulf monarchy's rulers, and therefore facing a possible three-year jail sentence. Continue reading... |
| Peru declares state of emergency over deadly forest fires Posted: 24 Nov 2016 12:00 AM PST
Peru has declared a state of emergency in seven districts in the north of the country where forest fires have killed two, injured four and burnt nearly 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of land, including five protected natural areas. Wildfires have spread to 11 regions across the country, according to Peru's civil defence institute, in what scientists say may be the worst drought in more than a decade. |
| 'Anglican house is burning,' bishop tells abuse inquiry Posted: 24 Nov 2016 12:39 AM PST Greg Thompson tells royal commission he has been warned by parishioners he is not safe after alleging abuse as a young man by senior clerics An Anglican bishop says he has received warnings from parishioners that he is not safe in his own diocese after he revealed claims of his abuse as a young man by senior church clerics. Newcastle bishop Greg Thompson said cathedral parishioners had turned their backs on him, and screws had been placed in his staff members' tyres. Continue reading... |
| Eyewitness: Royal Opera House, London Posted: 24 Nov 2016 02:16 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| Britain's far right in 2016: fractured, unpredictable, dispirited … and violent Posted: 24 Nov 2016 01:42 AM PST Since Ukip ate into BNP support no single party has dominated, leaving a couple of dozen smaller groups vying for attention After years of austerity, and at a time of rising concern about immigration and uncertainty about the future direction of the UK, the political and economic conditions appear to be ideal for the far right. Across Europe – particularly in France, Denmark and the Netherlands – it is animated and resurgent, scenting electoral success just over the horizon. In the UK, however, the extreme right is fractured, leaderless, confused and dispirited. It is also highly unpredictable and, on occasion, violent. Rather than one party or group – such as the British National party (BNP) or the English Defence League (EDL) – dominating the stage, a couple of dozen smaller groups vie for attention. Continue reading... |
| Rohingya flee to Bangladesh to escape Myanmar military strikes Posted: 24 Nov 2016 12:42 AM PST Dhaka summons Myanmar ambassador to complain about influx of members of persecuted Muslim minority Thousands of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape military strikes that have left scores dead and up to 30,000 displaced. Bangladesh has stepped up border patrols and summoned the Myanmar ambassador to complain about the exodus of the minority group, which has been persecuted for years by the government and nationalist Buddhists. Continue reading... |
| Colombia to sign new peace deal with Farc rebels despite ongoing objections Posted: 23 Nov 2016 11:30 PM PST Critics pushed back on the original peace deal, rejected just days after it was signed, saying it was too soft on guerrilla commanders responsible for war crimes Colombia's president and leftist Farc rebels are set to sign a revised peace agreement on Friday to end more than 50 years of conflict, despite continued objections by many who rejected the original accord in an October vote. "We have to act," President Juan Manuel Santos said, announcing the new signing. "We have no time to lose." Continue reading... |
| China will defend trade rights in face of Trump tariff threats, says official Posted: 23 Nov 2016 11:21 PM PST
China will defend its rights under World Trade Organisation tariff rules if US president-elect Donald Trump moves toward executing his campaign threats to levy punitive duties on goods made in China, a senior trade official has said. Related: As the election haze clears, Trump's China conundrum will become clear | Jonathan Fenby Continue reading... |
| UN celebrates refugees' contributions to Australian society – video Posted: 23 Nov 2016 11:01 PM PST Former refugees describe how they came to Australia as part of a new advertising campaign celebrating the contributions of refugees to Australian society and reinforcing the rights of persecuted people to seek protection. Catherine Stubberfield of the UN High Commission for Refugees, which is running the campaign, says former refugees are found across all areas of Australian life. 'They have become business leaders, doctors, teachers, politicians, sportsmen and women, and an integral part of Australian society. But refugees should be protected for the simple reason that they are people – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, neighbours and friends' Continue reading... |
| Piecing back together an Iraqi archaeological gem blown sky-high by Isis Posted: 23 Nov 2016 11:00 PM PST The ancient Assyrian city of Kalhu fascinated tourists until extremists set about erasing it because it pre-dates Islam The shattered ruins of Nimrud say different things to different people. To Sheikh Abdullah Saleh, a custodian of the ancient site until he was chased away by Islamic State extremists two years ago, they represent nothing but destruction and loss. To Iraqi archaeologist Layla Salih the hulking piles of rock are a big jigsaw puzzle, from which one of the world's most significant ancient sites might be slowly rebuilt. Continue reading... |
| Dozens of workers dead in China power plant collapse Posted: 23 Nov 2016 10:13 PM PST One worker reportedly still trapped after construction platform in cooling tower fell in eastern province of Jiangxi At least 67 people were killed in China after a platform in an unfinished power plant cooling tower collapsed, the latest industrial accident in a country plagued by chronic workplace tragedies. One worker remains trapped hours after the platform collapsed at 7am local time in the eastern province of Jiangxi, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Two more people were injured. Continue reading... |
| Death row: the lawyer who keeps losing Posted: 23 Nov 2016 10:00 PM PST A single attorney has had more clients sentenced to death in federal court than any other defence lawyer in America. He's part of a deeply flawed system that is about to get worse On the evening of 19 November 1998, the body of a Colombian man, Julian Colon, was found in the boot of an abandoned car in Kansas City, Missouri. His hands, feet and eyes had been bound with duct tape, and he had been shot in the head. Cartel drug lords, who were importing cocaine, via Mexico, into Texas and distributing it onwards from Kansas City, were convinced that Colon had stolen $300,000 from them, and had him executed. Ten days later, a Colombian immigrant, said to be an enforcer for the cartels, German Sinisterra, was arrested. Under interrogation, he confessed, saying that he had been told by the traffickers to fly to Kansas City from his home in Dallas, and to undertake a job for a fee of $1,000. He was afraid to say no: most of his family was in Colombia, vulnerable to reprisals. Sinisterra described how Colon was lured to a meeting by two cartel associates, where he was bound and beaten, before Sinisterra was ordered to shoot him. Continue reading... |
| Tokyo gets first November snow in over 50 years – video Posted: 23 Nov 2016 09:49 PM PST An unusually cold air mass has brought wet snow to Japan's capital. Above-freezing temperatures meant that in most places it didn't last – though it did accumulate on sidewalks and cars in the far western suburbs. Meteorologists forecast up to 2cm would fall, and more in the mountains north-west of Tokyo. There were minor train delays during the morning commute. The last November snow in central Tokyo was in 1962 Continue reading... |
| Hurricane Otto: Costa Rica declares national emergency as storm heads for coast Posted: 23 Nov 2016 09:24 PM PST Thousands ordered to evacuate in Nicaragua and Costa Rica after storm strengthens over the Caribbean Costa Rica's president has declared a state of emergency and thousands have been evacuated from its Caribbean coast as hurricane Otto strengthened and began heading towards land. Luis Guillermo Solís urged vehicles off the roads and said hospitals in the most at-risk areas had suspended elective surgeries and were transferring patients elsewhere. Continue reading... |
| Jamie Murphy told powder would make him feel better, says Kuta police chief – video Posted: 23 Nov 2016 06:26 PM PST Kuta's police chief, Wayan Sumara, addresses the media about the case of the Australian teenager Jamie Murphy, who was arrested after being found in possession of a white powder while visiting Bali. The police have determined that the powder was medicine, not illegal drugs. Murphy was released from custody and was expected to fly home to Perth on Thursday Continue reading... |
| US 'troubled' over Malaysia's detention of activist and Najib critic Posted: 23 Nov 2016 05:59 PM PST Maria Chin Abdullah, who has called for resignation of prime minister Najib Razak, in solitary confinement under law intended to curb extremism The United States has said it was troubled by the arrest of a Malaysian activist and critic of prime minister Najib Razak. Maria Chin Abdullah, the chair of pro-democracy group Bersih, was detained on Friday under Malaysia's Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, or Sosma, a law that was introduced in 2012 to fight security and extremist threats. Continue reading... |
| Iceland in election stalemate as Left Greens coalition bid fails Posted: 23 Nov 2016 05:19 PM PST Biggest and second-biggest winners both fail to pull together a government, with third-placed Pirate party now offering to try Iceland's Left-Greens have suspended talks with four other parties on forming a coalition government, according to the movement's leader, after disagreements on issues including health and education funding. Katrin Jakobsdottir said she had not decided whether she would give up on trying to form a new government by handing back the mandate given to her by Iceland's president. Continue reading... |
| Hammond seeks productivity boost with £2.6bn for transport Posted: 23 Nov 2016 04:14 PM PST Road and rail links between Oxford and Cambridge among infrastructure projects announced by chancellor Transport is one of the biggest beneficiaries of a new commitment to "high-value" investment in the British economy announced by the chancellor, Philip Hammond, in his autumn statement. Traffic-clogged roads and a new hi-tech railway system are among the projects to receive an additional £2.6bn in funds. The chancellor's focus in the autumn statement was for small-scale schemes that will directly contribute to raising Britain's productivity. The extra transport investment will be drawn from the newly created £23bn National Productivity Investment Fund. Philip Hammond said £1.1bn will be spent on English local transport networks, "where small investments can offer big wins". Another £220m has been allocated to address traffic pinch points on strategic roads. Continue reading... |
| Missing British pilot of 1940s plane found in Africa after search Posted: 23 Nov 2016 01:06 PM PST Maurice Kirk, 71, who disappeared between Sudan and Ethiopia while flying in air rally, reported 'safe and accounted for' A 71-year-old British pilot who went missing over Africa in his 1940s plane has turned up – but he and fellow participants in a vintage air rally appear to have run into trouble with the authorities in Ethiopia. Maurice Kirk, a retired vet and former drinking partner of actor Oliver Reed, was taking part in the Vintage Air Rally (VAR) flying from Crete to Cape Town when he was reported missing. Continue reading... |
| Australian teen Jamie Murphy walks free in Bali after negative drug test Posted: 23 Nov 2016 12:43 PM PST Indonesian police say teenager is 'very lucky' to be leaving island after tests show white powder allegedly found on teen did not contain illegal drugs The Australian teenager Jamie Murphy has walked free from a Bali police station less than 48 hours after he was arrested with "excessive force" at a Kuta nightclub for carrying a white powder. The 18-year-old said nothing as he was led through the waiting press pack on Wednesday night and towards a silver car parked at the entrance of the police station in Kuta. Continue reading... |
| Cambodian surrogacy crackdown: move to reassure pregnant women and families Posted: 23 Nov 2016 12:37 PM PST Women expected to meet interior ministry and Australian embassy officials in wake of proclamation banning commercial surrogacy and three arrests The Cambodian government has sought to reassure pregnant surrogates and would-be parents they will not face prosecution as it cracks down on the country's fledgling commercial surrogacy industry, which was completely unregulated until a few weeks ago. Last week anti-human trafficking authorities arrested Tammy Charles, an Australian who operates Fertility Solutions PGD, along with a Cambodian nurse and a commerce ministry official. According to the Cambodia Daily newspaper, all three have been imprisoned pending trial on charges of requesting false documents and acting as intermediaries between adoptive parents and a pregnant woman. Continue reading... |
| Ebola nurse Donna Wood could be struck off over Cafferkey screening Posted: 23 Nov 2016 10:41 AM PST Wood found by Nursing and Midwifery Council to have concealed temperature of fellow nurse at Heathrow screening A nurse once described as a hero after she volunteered to work in an Ebola treatment centre in Sierra Leone faces the possibility of being struck off after being caught up in a botched screening at Heathrow. Donna Wood has been found by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to have concealed the high temperature of her fellow volunteer Pauline Cafferkey when they landed at Heathrow a day before the Scottish nurse tested positive for the virus. Continue reading... |
| Kuril islands missiles should not spoil Putin's visit, Russia tells Japan Posted: 23 Nov 2016 07:40 AM PST Ahead of president's trip, tensions rise over weapons on Russian-controlled Kurils, some of which are claimed by Japan Russia has attempted to smooth over the latest episode in its missile diplomacy, with a Kremlin spokesman saying he hoped the stationing of anti-ship missiles on disputed islands off the Japanese coast would not spoil bilateral relations ahead of a visit by Vladimir Putin to Japan. The Russian president is due to travel to Japan in mid-December, and one of the items on the agenda will be negotiations over the Kurils, a chain of volcanic islands that runs between Russia's Kamchatka peninsula and Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. Continue reading... |
| How François Fillon became the French right's new hope Posted: 23 Nov 2016 03:53 AM PST The embodiment of the political establishment is suddenly favourite to face Marine Le Pen in next year's election In an exhibition hangar near Lyon airport as thousands of supporters waved French flags, a well-heeled country gentleman seen as the figurehead of the traditional Catholic provincial French right, took to the stage with a contented smile. François Fillon, the former prime minister who in a 35-year political career has come to embody the very essence of the French political establishment, shouted to the well-dressed, largely elderly crowd: "We have to change the system!" Continue reading... |
| Alexander Litvinenko’s widow criticises ‘silence’ over his murder Posted: 23 Nov 2016 03:11 AM PST Speaking on 10th anniversary of dissident's death, Marina Litvinenko says UK government has gone quiet on public inquiry findings The widow of Alexander Litvinenko has criticised the British government for failing to take meaningful action after January's public inquiry report that said Vladimir Putin had "probably approved" the Russian dissident's radioactive murder. Speaking on the 10th anniversary of Litvinenko's death, on 23 November 2006, Marina Litvinenko said she had been waiting to hear what further steps the UK might take. But Theresa May had "gone quiet", she said. "Why is the government so silent?" she asked. Continue reading... |
| Inside the bubble: the air-conditioned alternate reality of Jakarta's megamalls Posted: 23 Nov 2016 10:53 PM PST In a steaming-hot city with very little public space, Jakarta's astounding 170 malls are a one-stop shop for work, rest and play – offering women in particular greater freedoms. But are these artificial worlds really good for the city? Pass the security guards in their navy blue uniforms and white epaulettes, through the metal detectors that invariably beep (although no one seems to care), and you're inside Jakarta's glistening, marbled alternate reality: fluffy white clouds painted on the ceiling, gold lion fountain heads and glitzy designer stores that sell handbags that, for some, would cost an entire year's wage. For many well-heeled inhabitants of this steaming hot megalopolis, the megamall has all the answers you need – starting with air-conditioning. But there are also restaurants and playgrounds, nightclubs, bars, bookshops, gyms, salons, dentists, and doctors; there are supermarkets, gardens, karaoke parlours, cinemas, art galleries, and even evangelical churches. In Jakarta, the mall is a literal one-stop shop. Continue reading... |
| Dalam gelembung: realitas lain mega mal Jakarta yang berpendingin Posted: 23 Nov 2016 10:52 PM PST Di kota pengap dan panas dengan ruang publik yang begitu sempit, 170 mal di Jakarta menjadi tempat bekerja, beristirahat, dan bermain yang menawarkan kebebasan lebih khususnya bagi perempuan. Tapi apakah kenyamanan semu itu baik bagi kota ini? Melewati petugas keamanan yang mengenakan seragam biru tua dengan detil putih, berjalan melalui alat deteksi metal yang kerap kali berbunyi (walaupun tidak ada yang memedulikan), dan Anda seolah berada di dunia lain, Jakarta yang berkilau dengan marmernya: awan putih gemuk terlukis di langit-langit, air mancur keluar dari mulut kepala singa berwarna emas dan toko-toko desainer mentereng menawarkan tas dengan harga setara gaji setahun seorang karyawan. Bagi kebanyakan penduduk kelas atas di megapolitan yang lembap dan panas ini, megamall memberikan jawaban bagi kebutuhan mereka; AC adalah salah satunya. Selain itu juga ada restoran, tempat bermain, klub malam, bar, toko buku, tempat olahraga, salon, dokter gigi, dan berbagai dokter lainnya. Ada pula supermarket, taman, tempat karaoke, bioskop, galeri seni bahkan gereja evangelis. Di Jakarta, mal sudah menjadi toko serba ada. |
| $40M untuk menyelamatkan Jakarta: kisah sang Garuda Perkasa Posted: 23 Nov 2016 09:42 PM PST Lupakan Venesia. Kota yang paling cepat tenggelam adalah ibukota Indonesia, di beberapa tempat turun 25cm per tahun. Bisakah rencana yang janggal untuk membangun sebuah tanggul raksasa dan kota pinggir laut yang mewah dalam rupa burung Garuda menyelamatkan Jakarta agar tidak tergelam Dengan tangan menggapai ke atas, penjaga toko berusia lanjut yang mengenakan terusan batik dan kerudung berwarna putih menunjukkan tinggi air yang masuk ke dalam rumahnya saat banjir di Jakarta pada 2007 lalu. Sukaesih bertubuh mungil, namun ia menunjuk ke atas bingkai pintu sekitar dua meter dari permukaan tanah. Nenek berusia 60 tahun itu, yang seperti penduduk Indonesia pada umumnya hanya memiliki satu nama, tinggal di dekat laut di Muara Baru. Ruang depan kediamannya yang dialihfungsikan sebagai toko tempat ia menjual minuman ringan dan rokok kretek kegemaran penduduk lokal terlihat sederhana. Namun, toko Sukaesih berada di titik perjuangan kota Jakarta untuk bertahan hidup di atas permukaan air. Continue reading... |
| Shops in trees: Jakarta's improvised street life – in pictures Posted: 23 Nov 2016 09:17 PM PST Photographer Isidro Ramírez documents the small solutions Jakartans find to improve the quality of life in a crowded city with inefficient infrastructure – from fashion shops in trees to wood-store bus stops Continue reading... |
| The world's worst traffic: can Jakarta find an alternative to the car? Posted: 23 Nov 2016 03:24 AM PST Attracted by the air-conditioning and the status, many of the 3.5 million people who commute into the hot and humid Indonesian capital come by car. With four hours in traffic not unusual, Jakarta is searching for solutions The average Jakartan spends 10 years of their life in traffic, wrote novelist Seno Gumira Ajidarma, and you don't have to spend long in the Indonesian capital to believe it. Three and a half million people a day commute into this hot and humid city from the wider metropolitan area of Greater Jakarta and many come by car, attracted by the status and the air-conditioning. Their cars, though, are motionless in macet (gridlock) during most of the 5am to 8am and 5pm to 8pm rush hours, and for much of the day. Continue reading... |
| India accused of muzzling NGOs by blocking foreign funding Posted: 23 Nov 2016 09:00 PM PST Modi's government revokes licences of 25 organisations over 'anti-national activities' as pool of foreign-funded bodies shrinks by almost half in two years At least 25 Indian NGOs have lost licences to receive international funding because of their "anti-national" activities, while a further 11,319 have lost licences for failing to renew them, shrinking India's pool of foreign-funded organisations to a little more than half the number it was two years ago. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the licences were revoked because the NGOs "failed to meet legal requirements" under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) (pdf) of 2010. The move could mean that some NGOs reliant on international funding will be forced to close. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Outrage over two-year sentence for HIV-positive Malawi 'hyena' Posted: 23 Nov 2016 06:04 AM PST Women's rights groups demand stronger punishment after court verdict on HIV-positive man who claimed to have sex with more than 100 women and girls Women's rights activists have condemned the two-year sentence given to an HIV-positive man who claimed to have had sex with more than 100 women and girls in Malawi. The Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC), the Gender Coordination Network and the African Women's Development and Communications Network (Femnet) branded the sentence of Eric Aniva a disgrace, and demanded it be reviewed. Aniva admitted in a BBC documentary that he had had sex with women and girls in traditional "cleansing" rituals. Continue reading... |
| Innovations fund aims to save women and newborn babies in Africa Posted: 23 Nov 2016 05:28 AM PST $7m Grand Challenges scheme invites African researchers to find solutions to the continent's high rates of maternal and neonatal death Public health experts in east Africa have hailed an initiative that will fund research on the continent in the hope of fostering African innovation. The $7m (£5.7m) Grand Challenges Africa innovation seed grants programme – funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and coordinated by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the Nepad Agency Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (Aesa) – is calling for ideas from Africa-based innovators working in maternal and newborn child health. Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump's Thanksgiving message: 'Tensions just don't heal overnight' – video Posted: 23 Nov 2016 07:42 PM PST The US president-elect has issued a video message as Americans begin to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. "We've just finished a long and bruising political campaign. Emotions are raw," Trump told viewers. "But we have before us the chance now to make history together … I'm asking you to join me in this effort." Before leaving for Thanksgiving in Florida, Trump made the latest appointment to his cabinet: Betsy DeVos, a conservative activist, is the new education secretary. Continue reading... |
| Obama pardons turkey for last time as president – video Posted: 23 Nov 2016 01:28 PM PST As President Barack Obama held his final turkey pardon event at the White House he vowed to continue the tradition in his private life saying, 'No way I am cutting this habit cold turkey.' Obama poked fun at his daughters Sasha and Malia who he said were not able to attend the annual event because they 'had a scheduling conflict'. Obama was instead joined by his nephews Austin and Aaron Robinson, when he pardoned 'Tater' and 'Tot' Continue reading... |
| Fireball streaks across Florida sky – video Posted: 23 Nov 2016 10:04 AM PST A Florida police officer and local residents captured on video an unidentified fireball streaking across the sky on 21 November. The footage shows the moment when the fireball approaches Earth and finally explodes in a flash. The American Meteor Society (AMS) has received over 150 reports about the fireball that was mainly seen from Florida, but was also witnessed in Georgia and Alabama. According to AMS, a fireball is an extremely bright meteor Continue reading... |
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