World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Eastern Aleppo becoming 'one giant graveyard' says UN humanitarian chief
- Colombia air crash: leaked audio shows pilot said he ran out of fuel
- Oil price surges as Opec agrees first cut in output since 2008
- Panama Papers: Europol links 3,500 names to suspected criminals
- Gun that almost killed Arthur Rimbaud sells for €435,000 at Paris auction
- Brazil legislators vote against anti-corruption bill even as nation mourns
- Mexico archaeologists find temple to wind god beneath supermarket
- Committee calls for firing of judge who told woman 'keep your knees together'
- Ireland compensates woman forced to travel to Britain for an abortion
- Breitbart declares war on Kellogg's after cereal brand pulls advertising from site
- Amnesty condemns jailing of Syrian on terror charges in Hungary
- Donald Trump claims he is leaving his business interests 'in total'
- Ohio State University attack: 'too soon' to determine terrorism link
- UN tightens sanctions on North Korea after largest nuclear test yet
- Cubans say goodbye to Fidel Castro's ashes in four-day funeral procession
- Steven Mnuchin nominated for US treasury secretary
- 'Human caused' Tennessee wildfires kill four near Dollywood park
- Keith Scott shooting: no charges to be filed against Charlotte police officer
- The battle for eastern Aleppo in maps: how rebel territory is shrinking
- How Obama's climate change legacy is weakened by US investment in dirty fuel
- Indian court orders cinemas to play national anthem before films
- Air France workers found guilty of tearing off bosses' shirts
- Cheers as Belgian beer is added to Unesco cultural heritage list
- Investigators return to scene of Colombia plane crash
- Great-grandson of man killed in Stalin's purges to sue Russian state
- Family of Chinese human rights lawyer fear he may have been secretly detained
- EU targets energy waste and coal subsidies in new climate package
- US legislation proposes new committee to counteract Russian 'covert influence'
- German intelligence agent held over 'leaks to Islamic extremists'
- While many Iranians fear Trump presidency, others see opportunities
- How Latin American women are cracking the code to the tech sector
- 'Total electrical failure and out of fuel': pilot of Chapecoense plane – audio
- Holocaust survivors' 3D project preserves testimony for the future
- Fans of Chapecoense hold mass vigil for Colombia plane crash victims – video
- Colombia's government formally ratifies revised Farc peace deal
- Greens do deal with government for a 15% backpacker tax – as it happened
- Immigration to UK hit record levels in run-up to Brexit vote, latest figures show
- How cities took over the world: a history of globalisation spanning 4,000 years
- 'Fear has faded': Gambian election could finally end dictator's grip on power
- China launches replica Titanic project, with Peter Mandelson in tow
- George Brandis went on anti-Abbott book buying binge, expenses show
- Terrific guy, fantastic country': Trump heaps praise on Pakistan's leader
- Chapecoense plane crash: fans' anger after confirmation plane ran out of fuel
- Inside Italy’s ultras: the dangerous fans who control the game | Tobias Jones
- Niqab ruling: the Australian judge's decision in full
- Woman cannot give evidence in a niqab, Australian court rules
- Tinsel and Twitter: New Zealand's secret Santa matches social media strangers
- Poland earthquake killed eight underground miners, says owner
- 'Our club represented Brazil': Chapecoense tragedy a crushing blow to nation in crisis
- Snowflake’s fourfold symmetry is pure fantasy | Brief letters
- UK's first case of sexually transmitted Zika detected
- Bob Geldof rails against Brexit as he backs Lib Dems in Richmond Park
- Blaze of Glory: the grand tradition of burning the American flag
- Trump's Islamophobic rhetoric means a public health crisis for Muslims
- Animal hackers: altered creatures star in London exhibition
- Chapecoense goalkeeper Nivaldo confirms retirement after plane crash
- 'Alt-right': why the Guardian decided not to ban use of the term
- Tusk highlights growing frustration but has not toughened EU stance
- Martin Scorsese meets Pope Francis 30 years after Christ film row
- Fresh hope for Kandahar newborns as Afghan healthcare gets a shot in the arm | Matthew Green
- Mobilising aid through the private sector can yield high poverty reduction returns
- Motherhood in Aleppo: 'Did I give birth to him to see a life like this?' | Umm Leen
- Hillary Clinton surprises Katy Perry to present her with Unicef award – video
- Opportunist thief steals pot of gold in New York – video
- New footage shows Keith Scott carrying gun, prosecutors say – video
- Trump's Treasury pick says he will target taxes and trade reforms – video
- Brazilian relatives mourn plane crash victims – video
| Eastern Aleppo becoming 'one giant graveyard' says UN humanitarian chief Posted: 30 Nov 2016 01:52 PM PST
The UN's humanitarian chief has warned that eastern Aleppo was being turned into "one giant graveyard" as the rebel-held area was being overrun by Syrian regime and Russian forces. Stephen O'Brien told an emergency session of the UN security council that since Saturday 25,000 people had been forced from their homes in eastern Aleppo, more than half of them children, as the government offensive stormed into opposition districts. Continue reading... |
| Colombia air crash: leaked audio shows pilot said he ran out of fuel Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:25 PM PST Pilot can be heard requesting permission to land due to a 'total electric failure' and lack of fuel in a recording from the crash that killed 71 people The pilot of the chartered plane carrying a Brazilian soccer team told air traffic controllers he had run out of fuel and desperately pleaded for permission to land before crashing into the Andes, according to a leaked recording of the final minutes of the doomed flight In the sometimes chaotic exchange with the air traffic tower, the pilot of the British-built jet could be heard repeatedly requesting authorization to land because of "fuel problems". A controller explained another plane had been diverted with mechanical problems and had priority, instructing the pilot to wait seven minutes. Continue reading... |
| Oil price surges as Opec agrees first cut in output since 2008 Posted: 30 Nov 2016 09:40 AM PST Saudi Arabia to bear brunt of curbs as 14-nation cartel of producers secures deal to stabilise world market The price of oil has surged by 8% after the 14-nation cartel Opec agreed to its first cut in production in eight years. Confounding critics who said the club of oil-producing nations was too riven with political infighting to agree a deal, Opec announced it was trimming output by 1.2m barrels per day (bpd) from 1 January. Continue reading... |
| Panama Papers: Europol links 3,500 names to suspected criminals Posted: 30 Nov 2016 04:01 PM PST Law enforcement agency analysis uncovers probable matches connected to terrorism, money laundering and organised crime Almost 3,500 individuals and companies in the Panama Papers are probable matches for suspected criminals including terrorists, cybercriminals and cigarette smugglers, according to a document seen by the Guardian. The analysis, which was carried out by Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, sheds more light on the breadth of criminal behaviour facilitated by tax havens around the world. Continue reading... |
| Gun that almost killed Arthur Rimbaud sells for €435,000 at Paris auction Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:28 PM PST Seven-millimetre revolver poet Paul Verlaine used in failed attempt to kill his lover fetches more than seven times its estimate The most famous gun in French literary history, used by Paul Verlaine when he tried to kill his lover and fellow poet Arthur Rimbaud, has sold for €434,500 (£368,000) at auction in Paris. The price for the 7mm six-shooter which almost changed the course of world literature was more than seven times the estimate, auctioneers Christie's said on Wednesday. Continue reading... |
| Brazil legislators vote against anti-corruption bill even as nation mourns Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:41 PM PST Congress passes bill with changes that would help shield lawmakers from prosecution, angering investigators, as nation grapples with deadly plane crash Prosecutors investigating Brazil's biggest-ever graft scandal have threatened to resign en masse if a move to gut an anti-corruption bill won approval from legislators as the nation mourns an air disaster. Related: 'Our club represented Brazil': Chapecoense tragedy a crushing blow to nation in crisis Continue reading... |
| Mexico archaeologists find temple to wind god beneath supermarket Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:08 PM PST
Archaeologists working in Mexico City have uncovered a circular temple built more than 650 years ago to worship a god of wind. It was excavated at a site discovered two years ago when a mid-20th-century supermarket was demolished. The circular platform, about 36ft in diameter and 4ft tall, now sits in the shadow of a shopping mall under construction. Continue reading... |
| Committee calls for firing of judge who told woman 'keep your knees together' Posted: 30 Nov 2016 12:56 PM PST Committee recommends Robin Camp be removed from bench after he asked during trial why complainant hadn't done more to prevent alleged rape A judge who asked a complainant in a sexual assault trial why she couldn't just keep her knees together should be removed from the bench, an inquiry tasked with probing the matter has concluded. In a unanimous recommendation released on Wednesday, the five-person inquiry committee of the Canadian Judicial Council said Robin Camp "committed misconduct" while presiding over a 2014 trial into allegations of sexual assault. Continue reading... |
| Ireland compensates woman forced to travel to Britain for an abortion Posted: 30 Nov 2016 12:34 PM PST Government agreed to pay compensation for trauma to Amanda Mellet after she was forced to obtain a termination of her pregnancy in England Ireland has for the first time in its history compensated a woman for the trauma caused by forcing her to travel to Britain for an abortion. Pro-choice campaigners in the Republic said the Fine Gael-led minority government's agreement on Wednesday to pay compensation to Amanda Mellet was highly significant. |
| Breitbart declares war on Kellogg's after cereal brand pulls advertising from site Posted: 30 Nov 2016 01:31 PM PST The right-wing news organization is calling for a boycott on Kellogg's products after company says Breitbart is not 'aligned with our values' The right-wing news site Breitbart has declared "#WAR" on Kellogg's, calling for a boycott of the cereal company's products after they decided to cease advertising on the site. On Tuesday, the Kellogg Company pulled their adverts from the site, saying that it wasn't "aligned with our values". Recent inflammatory stories include "Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive And Crazy"; "Data: Young Muslims In The West Are A Ticking Time-Bomb" and "Would You Rather Your Child Had Feminism Or Cancer?". Continue reading... |
| Amnesty condemns jailing of Syrian on terror charges in Hungary Posted: 30 Nov 2016 10:29 AM PST Case of man jailed for 10 years after being accused of orchestrating clashes between refugees and police called 'affront to justice' A Syrian builder has been jailed for 10 years on terrorism charges in Hungary in a case that has become a cornerstone of the country's crackdown on refugees, and which Amnesty International has called "an affront to justice". Related: Refugee crisis escalates as migrants break through Hungarian border Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump claims he is leaving his business interests 'in total' Posted: 30 Nov 2016 04:05 AM PST President-elect says he wants to avoid appearance of conflict of interest once in office, but gives little detail before planned press conference in two weeks Donald Trump has announced that he will be stepping away from his business interests "in total" in order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest once he enters the White House. The president-elect, who has been criticised by constitutional lawyers and ethics counselors for refusing to give up ownership of his business empire, said in a series of tweets on Wednesday morning that he would hold a press conference two weeks from now to discuss the plan, but provided little detail. Continue reading... |
| Ohio State University attack: 'too soon' to determine terrorism link Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:55 AM PST Officials say they are working to determine if Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a student at the university, was motivated by terrorism when he injured 11 people Officials said it is "too soon" to determine whether Monday's attack at Ohio State University, in which 11 people were injured, had any connection to terrorism. A student at the university, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, is believed to have driven a car into a group of pedestrians on campus Monday morning. Police said he then got out of the car and began slashing people with a butcher knife. A campus police officer fatally shot Artan minutes after the attack began. Officials said on Wednesday that multiple witnesses heard the officer tell Artan to drop the knife before he opened fire. |
| UN tightens sanctions on North Korea after largest nuclear test yet Posted: 30 Nov 2016 06:36 PM PST Security council unanimously approves resolution targeting wide range of sanctions in response to September test The UN security council has voted to further tighten sanctions on North Korea in response to their fifth and largest nuclear test yet. The council unanimously approved the sanctions resolution on Wednesday following months of diplomatic wrangling over how best to respond to North Korea's latest nuclear test in September and their repeated defiance of international sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Continue reading... |
| Cubans say goodbye to Fidel Castro's ashes in four-day funeral procession Posted: 30 Nov 2016 07:57 AM PST Caravan carrying leader's remains will retrace his victory tour after Cuban Revolution in reverse, from Havana to Santiago, in final leg of mourning period Fidel Castro's ashes have begun a four-day journey across Cuba from Havana to their final resting place in the eastern city of Santiago. A small, Cuban-flag-covered cedar coffin containing the remains of the 90-year-old leader was taken out of Cuba's defense ministry just after 7am and placed into a flower-bedecked trailer pulled by a green military jeep for the more than 500-mile (800km) procession. The ashes will be interred on Sunday, ending the nine-day mourning period for the man who ruled the country for nearly 50 years. Continue reading... |
| Steven Mnuchin nominated for US treasury secretary Posted: 30 Nov 2016 08:49 AM PST Donald Trump appoints ex-Goldman Sachs banker who says he will oversee 'the largest tax change since Reagan' Donald Trump has nominated Steven Mnuchin, a Goldman Sachs banker-turned-Hollywood movie financier with no government experience, as US Treasury secretary. Mnuchin, a multimillionaire who was dubbed a "foreclosure king" for buying up distressed mortgages and evicting thousands of homeowners during the financial crisis, immediately announced he would oversee "the largest tax change since Reagan" and said his "No 1 priority is tax reform". Continue reading... |
| 'Human caused' Tennessee wildfires kill four near Dollywood park Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:28 PM PST Fires in the Great Smoky Mountains have been tearing through the popular tourist town of Gatlinburg since Monday, forcing thousands to leave their homes At least seven people have died and dozens have been hospitalized in wildfires in Tennessee that have ravaged a popular tourist town and forced thousands from their homes. Fires in the Great Smoky Mountains tore through Gatlinburg in eastern Tennessee starting Monday. Rain began moving through the area on Wednesday, providing some relief, while fires still raged in other parts. Continue reading... |
| Keith Scott shooting: no charges to be filed against Charlotte police officer Posted: 30 Nov 2016 08:42 AM PST Officer Brentley Vinson, who killed the 43-year-old black man in North Carolina in September, deemed by district attorney to have 'acted lawfully' No state criminal charges will be brought against the police officer who fatally shot Keith Scott in North Carolina earlier this year, prosecutors announced on Wednesday. Andrew Murray, the district attorney in Charlotte, said that officer Brentley Vinson's shooting of Scott in September was justified because Scott refused to drop a gun held at his side. Continue reading... |
| The battle for eastern Aleppo in maps: how rebel territory is shrinking Posted: 30 Nov 2016 05:13 AM PST Forces loyal to the Assad regime have launched a major ground assault on rebel-held Aleppo. Backed by Russian airstrikes that have already devastated the east of Syria's second city and destroyed its last functioning hospitals, pro-regime forces are advancing rapidly into territory that has been in rebel hands since 2012 Continue reading... |
| How Obama's climate change legacy is weakened by US investment in dirty fuel Posted: 30 Nov 2016 04:00 AM PST Exclusive: an agency inside the Obama administration poured billions into fossil fuel projects that will lead to global carbon emissions on a damaging scale President Barack Obama has staked his legacy on the environment, positioning his administration as the most progressive on climate change in US history. However, an obscure agency within his own administration has quietly spoiled his record by helping fund a steady outpouring of new overseas fossil fuel emissions – effectively erasing gains expected from his headline clean power plan or fuel efficiency standards. Continue reading... |
| Indian court orders cinemas to play national anthem before films Posted: 30 Nov 2016 05:13 AM PST Flag should be displayed and moviegoers should stand for anthem, to make them feel 'this is my motherland', court rules India's supreme court has ordered cinemas across the country to play the national anthem before film screenings to encourage citizens to "feel this is my country and this is my motherland". Indians weary from weeks of standing in queues at banks and ATM machines will get no reprieve at the cinema: the court also directed that moviegoers should "stand up in respect" while the anthem is played. Continue reading... |
| Air France workers found guilty of tearing off bosses' shirts Posted: 30 Nov 2016 04:32 AM PST Three workers given suspended sentences and two others acquitted over violence during protest over proposed job cuts Three Air France workers have been given suspended sentences for "organised violence" after being found guilty of an attack on two airline executives whose shirts were ripped off their backs in a protest over proposed job cuts. Pictures of angry workers chasing their bosses, forcing one to scramble shirtless over a wire fence outside the company headquarters, went around the world in October last year. Continue reading... |
| Cheers as Belgian beer is added to Unesco cultural heritage list Posted: 30 Nov 2016 05:46 AM PST Drink's history stretches back centuries and enthusiasts say its diversity in Belguim is unequalled anywhere else in the world Next time you raise a glass of Belgian beer, rest assured: it's a cultural experience. Unesco is adding the drink to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Belgian beer is known throughout the world for its wide array of tastes, from extremely sour to bitter, and is brewed in numerous cities, towns and villages across the west European nation of 11 million people. Continue reading... |
| Investigators return to scene of Colombia plane crash Posted: 30 Nov 2016 06:27 AM PST Unconfirmed reports suggest plane that crashed into a hillside killing 71 people was low on fuel or suffered an electrical fault Investigators have returned to the wreckage of an air crash in Colombia that killed 71 people including most of Brazil's Chapecoense football team as unconfirmed reports suggested the plane was low on fuel or suffered an electrical fault. By nightfall on Tuesday, rescuers had recovered most of the bodies, which were to be repatriated to Brazil and Bolivia, where the passengers and nine-person crew were from, and had located both flight data recorders. Soldiers guarded the hillside crash site overnight. Continue reading... |
| Great-grandson of man killed in Stalin's purges to sue Russian state Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:32 AM PST Descendant given document revealing chain of responsibility for death, from Soviet leader to three executioners A young designer in Russia plans to sue the state in an unprecedented case after an archivist sent him evidence appearing to name the agents of Joseph Stalin's secret police who executed his great-grandfather. Denis Karagodin, 34, received the document in the post after repeated requests to the Federal Security Service (FSB) for information about the circumstances of his great-grandfather's execution. Continue reading... |
| Family of Chinese human rights lawyer fear he may have been secretly detained Posted: 30 Nov 2016 02:28 AM PST Jiang Tianyong was last seen boarding a train to Beijing according to his wife who fears he has been detained by police Friends and family of a respected Christian attorney who has been missing for more than a week fear he may have fallen victim to Beijing's campaign against human rights lawyers and now languishes in secret custody. Jin Bianling, the wife of 45-year-old rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong, said she had heard nothing from her husband since the night of 21 November when he had been due to board a train from the city of Changsha to Beijing. Continue reading... |
| EU targets energy waste and coal subsidies in new climate package Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:12 AM PST Plan to cut energy use by 30% before 2030 forms centrepiece of package to help EU meet its Paris climate commitments Europe will begin phasing out coal subsidies and cut its energy use by 30% before the end of the next decade, under a major clean energy package announced in Brussels on Wednesday. The 1,000 page blueprint to help the EU meet its Paris climate commitments also proposes measures to cut household electricity bills, integrate renewables into power markets, and limit use of unsustainable bioenergy. Continue reading... |
| US legislation proposes new committee to counteract Russian 'covert influence' Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:45 AM PST Congress set to review bills to authorize intelligence body to oppose Russian interference and propaganda, which could be at odds with Trump administration A provision in intelligence legislation that is going through Congress would create a new high-level body aimed at thwarting covert Russian political interference around the world, potentially placing it at odds with the incoming Donald Trump administration. The measure, tucked into the fiscal 2017 House and Senate bills authorizing US intelligence operations, would create a powerful new committee across the security services to oppose Russian destabilization measures and propaganda domestically and worldwide. |
| German intelligence agent held over 'leaks to Islamic extremists' Posted: 30 Nov 2016 02:59 AM PST Man accused of making Islamist comments on the internet and passing on sensitive information about the agency A man employed by Germany's domestic intelligence agency to observe the activities of Islamists has been arrested on suspicion of passing on sensitive material to extremists. "The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has managed to expose a suspected Islamist among its associates," the agency said in a statement, after news organisations published details of the case. Continue reading... |
| While many Iranians fear Trump presidency, others see opportunities Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:24 AM PST Fears Tehran will suffer under Trump are countered by view that Iran copes better with a Republican in the White House A cartoon in the Iranian satirical magazine Khat-khati depicts former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a student at the lectern of his teacher, Donald Trump. "Excuse me," the hardliner says, "do you have a course handout?" Iranians often make jokes to digest political upheaval, and Trump's rise to power has drawn comparisons with that of a leader closer to home – one whose eight years in office marked a deterioration in Iran-US relations. |
| How Latin American women are cracking the code to the tech sector Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:39 AM PST Lauded by Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg, Mariana Costa is making the tech sector accessible for young women from deprived backgrounds in Peru, Mexico and Chile A roomful of three dozen young women sit in hushed concentration tap-tapping on their laptops, oblivious to the glint of the Pacific through the window of the eleventh floor office. On the walls motivational messages such as "Keep Calm and Code On" urge them to conquer their self-doubt and overcome the perception that tech is not for girls. From 9am to 6pm, including some evenings and weekends, they are taught Java Script, CSS3 and HTML5 for $10 a month. Laboratoria is a social enterprise giving young women in Peru a five-month fast-track course in coding, readying them for a job in the country's burgeoning tech sector where demand for their skills exceeds supply but fewer than 10% of professionals are women. Continue reading... |
| 'Total electrical failure and out of fuel': pilot of Chapecoense plane – audio Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:28 AM PST The pilot of the chartered plane carrying the Chapecoense football team tells air traffic controllers he has run out of fuel. This audio recording was leaked to Colombian media on Wednesday. Moments before going silent the pilot says he is flying at an altitude of 9,000 feet and makes a final plea to land Continue reading... |
| Holocaust survivors' 3D project preserves testimony for the future Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:17 AM PST Children can hold conversations with survivors – present in laser image form – receiving relevant pre-recorded answers Steven Frank, 81, sits in a red leather button-back armchair, answering questions from schoolchildren. "What was the first thing that made you smile after the Holocaust?" A cup of tea made with sweetened condensed milk, says Frank; it was "nectar from the gods". |
| Fans of Chapecoense hold mass vigil for Colombia plane crash victims – video Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:04 AM PST Thousands of grieving football fans flock to the home stadium of Chapecoense in Chapecó, Brazil, on Wednesday for a mass vigil in tribute to the victims of the Colombia plane crash. Players who did not travel to Medellín for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final lead an emotional tribute to their team-mates who died in the tragedy Continue reading... |
| Colombia's government formally ratifies revised Farc peace deal Posted: 01 Dec 2016 12:27 AM PST New accord with rebels has 50 changes to initial deal that was rejected by voters in October referendum Colombia's government has formally ratified a revised peace agreement with the Farc leftist rebel group, capping four years of negotiations, a referendum rejection, last-minute compromises and two signing ceremonies. The initial pact was narrowly rejected by voters last month, and Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos, decided to skip a referendum on the new version and go directly to congress, where the deal's supporters hold a majority. Opponents, led by former president Álvaro Uribe, boycotted the legislative votes, which resulted in unanimous approval by the senate on Tuesday and by the lower house late on Wednesday. Continue reading... |
| Greens do deal with government for a 15% backpacker tax – as it happened Posted: 01 Dec 2016 12:10 AM PST The government also commits $100m extra to Landcare and agrees to drop the backpacker superannuation tax from 95% to 65%
Thanks for everything, readers, to the brains trust Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp, Gareth Hutchens and Mike Bowers.
Now the backpacker superannuation tax rate bill has passed the lower house at a rate of 65%. The two backpacker bills will now return to the Senate, amended and are expected to pass the Senate tonight – all things being equal. Continue reading... |
| Immigration to UK hit record levels in run-up to Brexit vote, latest figures show Posted: 01 Dec 2016 01:39 AM PST Figure contrasts with national insurance and visa data suggesting EU and non-EU labour migration started to fall in three months after vote Immigration to Britain hit its highest ever annual level of 650,000 in the run-up to the Brexit referendum, new official figures have revealed. But the latest official figures show that since the Brexit vote in June new national insurance registrations by workers from the European Union have fallen, with the largest drop – 17% – among workers from Poland and other east European countries. Continue reading... |
| How cities took over the world: a history of globalisation spanning 4,000 years Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:20 PM PST From bronze-age Iraq's market-driven cities to the riches of Antwerp to the tech revolution in India, Greg Clark identifies the many waves of urban globalisation in an extract from his new book, Global Cities History shows that cities have tended to embrace international opportunities in waves and cycles. They rarely break out into global activity by themselves. Cities participate in collective movements or networks to take advantage of new conditions, and often their demise or withdrawal from a global orientation is also experienced jointly with other cities as circumstances change, affecting many at once. The world's first great market-driven cities were established more than 4,000 years ago in the early bronze age, and their rich history is only now beginning to be understood. An urban revolution was taking place, with most residents of what is today southern Iraq living in cities, and this process of urbanisation was accompanied by trade on a new scale. Continue reading... |
| 'Fear has faded': Gambian election could finally end dictator's grip on power Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:00 PM PST Gambians go to the polls on Thursday to vote in one of the closest elections in the 22 years since Yahya Jammeh seized control Related: Young Gambians ready to vote out dictatorial Yahya Jammeh regime When their unlikely hero arrived at 11pm, the crowd screamed as if Elvis himself had showed up. There were so many people surging towards him that Adama Barrow, the former estate agent who many hope will end the Gambia's decades of deadly dictatorship, was trapped on top of the car he arrived in. So he gave his speech, the last of the campaign, standing on its roof. Continue reading... |
| China launches replica Titanic project, with Peter Mandelson in tow Posted: 30 Nov 2016 09:47 PM PST Labour peer reportedly travelled to Sichuan province to heap praise on plan to recreate famous liner 1,200km from the sea He was one of the key salesmen of New Labour, a Westminster wheeler-dealer whose backstage machinations and silver tongue saw him nicknamed Britain's svengali of spin. Now, Tony Blair's former communications chief Peter Mandelson is pushing a rather different project: the New Titanic, a 1bn yuan (£116m) bid to rebuild the doomed passenger liner in a landlocked Chinese county more than 1,200km from the sea. Continue reading... |
| George Brandis went on anti-Abbott book buying binge, expenses show Posted: 01 Dec 2016 12:44 AM PST Attorney general had a ringside seat in Tony Abbott's cabinet – then spent public money on books about his former boss's downfall George Brandis has used taxpayer dollars to buy several books about the downfall of Tony Abbott, including The Short and Excruciatingly Embarrassing Reign of Captain Abbott. The attorney general's parliamentary expenses, released by the Department of Finance on Thursday, show he bought the books in January and February, just as parliament returned from its summer recess. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Terrific guy, fantastic country': Trump heaps praise on Pakistan's leader Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:29 PM PST Pakistan's government has released details of an extraordinary telephone call between the US president-elect and Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif Donald Trump has heaped praise on Pakistan, traditionally a troublesome US ally, saying it is a "fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people" according to an official statement released by Islamabad. The US president-elect made his effusive comments in a phone conversation on Wednesday with Nawaz Sharif, prime minister of the nuclear-armed state, whom Trump hailed as a "terrific guy". Continue reading... |
| Chapecoense plane crash: fans' anger after confirmation plane ran out of fuel Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:18 PM PST Colombian media release audio of pilot telling air traffic controllers that plane – which crashed killing 71 players, crew and journalists – was 'without fuel' Football, religion and grief dominated the emotional requiem service in Southern Brazil on Wednesday night for the 71 players, technical staff, sports journalists and crew killed when a plane chartered by local team Chapecoense crashed on a Colombian mountainside on Wednesday night. Related: Colombia plane crash: leaked audio shows pilot said he ran out of fuel Continue reading... |
| Inside Italy’s ultras: the dangerous fans who control the game | Tobias Jones Posted: 30 Nov 2016 10:00 PM PST When a key figure in a powerful 'ultra' group killed himself in July, police suspected the mafia was using the ultras to get into the game On 7 July this year, Raffaello Bucci's body was found at the bottom of the so-called "viaduct of suicides". Just a day before, he had been interviewed by police investigating links between football and organised crime. The viaduct is an impressive structure connecting Turin to Cuneo, a city 100km to the south, and south-eastern France. The arches carrying the dual-carriageway over the Stura di Demonte river are 45 metres high. It was on this same spot that Edoardo, only son of Gianni Agnelli (the late owner of Fiat and Juventus), ended his life in 2000. Bucci's life, as well as his death, linked him to the Agnelli family. Although he grew up in San Severo, a town 850km to the south of Turin, Bucci was – like many southerners who move to the north – a hardcore Juventus supporter. He had grown up watching the greats of the "old lady" of Italian football: Platini, Baggio, Ravanelli, Vialli, Del Piero. Juventus was, according to one of his oldest friends, "an obsession". Continue reading... |
| Niqab ruling: the Australian judge's decision in full Posted: 30 Nov 2016 07:15 PM PST 'I must take into account whether I would be impeded in my ability to full assess the reliability and credibility of the evidence' • Woman cannot give evidence in a niqab, Australian court rules On Tuesday Moutia Elzahed requested permission to wear a niqab while giving evidence in the district court of New South Wales. Her request was denied. Reproduced here is the full transcript of the reasons Judge Audrey Balla gave for her decision: Related: Woman cannot give evidence in a niqab, Australian court rules Continue reading... |
| Woman cannot give evidence in a niqab, Australian court rules Posted: 30 Nov 2016 06:53 PM PST Moutia Elzahed, whose husband was convicted of aiding terrorism, is denied request in her damages claim against • The judge's decision in full An Australian judge has declined a request from a Muslim woman to wear a niqab while giving evidence in a damages claim against police where she alleges that officers assaulted her during a raid on her home. On Tuesday in the New South Wales district court, Judge Audrey Balla ruled on a request from Moutia Elzahed to wear her niqab while giving evidence to the court, in what may by one of the first rulings of its kind in Australia. Continue reading... |
| Tinsel and Twitter: New Zealand's secret Santa matches social media strangers Posted: 30 Nov 2016 05:40 PM PST Participants in country-wide scheme post each other Christmas presents based on clues in their tweets – or outright wishlists A New Zealand-wide secret Santa in which complete strangers send each other gifts in the post has had a bumper season, processing more than 2,000 presents in its Auckland hub. The game was launched in 2010 by Hamilton man Sam Elton-Walters, who matched strangers on Twitter to send secret Santa gifts to each other in time for Christmas. Participants would drop hints of their interests and hobbies via tweets – or, more directly, write lists of gifts they would like to receive. Continue reading... |
| Poland earthquake killed eight underground miners, says owner Posted: 30 Nov 2016 04:36 PM PST Magnitude 3.4 quake caused rockfalls hundreds of metres below the surface at Europe's largest copper mine The final death toll of an earthquake in Poland that caused rockfalls deep underground at Europe's largest copper mine stood at eight, operator KGHM said on Wednesday. The quake hit the Rudna copper mine just after 9pm on Tuesday. A search followed through the night and Wednesday, with five bodies initially found, then another three. Continue reading... |
| 'Our club represented Brazil': Chapecoense tragedy a crushing blow to nation in crisis Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:56 AM PST For many in the southern city of Chapecó the football team, whose players and staff were nearly all killed in a plane crash in Colombia on Monday, were a balm against the political and economic upheaval battering their country Laudiceia Xavier, 20, cried when her father woke her up on Tuesday with the news that the charter plane carrying their local football team had crashed on a mountainside in Colombia. Her eyes were still red on Wednesday. "I couldn't believe it. It was a very bad feeling. It still hasn't sunk in," she said. "Nobody can believe it," said her cousin, Claudiomir de Camargo, 17, a student. Continue reading... |
| Snowflake’s fourfold symmetry is pure fantasy | Brief letters Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:48 AM PST Snowflake graphic | Safe spaces | Nurses without degrees | French cake history | Tennis and risk of death | Fivers, ponies and monkeys When is a snowflake not a snowflake? Answer: when it has fourfold symmetry, like the graphic used with your article (Poor little snowflake, G2, 29 October). How could you make such a mistake? If you are determined to include a snowflake graphic, please get it right. Your snowflakes appear to be made of cubic ice, a metastable polymorph not seen in blizzards or snowballs. An interesting idea but sadly a fantasy. Regular bog-standard ice comprises a hexagonal array of water molecules, so snowflakes likewise have sixfold symmetry. You silly snowflakes! • Young people's need for "safe spaces" is completely understandable. I'm quite old now but still need mine: it's my bedroom, usually with a favourite book and a cat. But speakers' platforms and debating chambers are intended as verbal battlegrounds and have no business being anybody's safe space. |
| UK's first case of sexually transmitted Zika detected Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:26 AM PST Public Health England advises men returning from Zika-hit areas to use a condom during sex for six months and women to do so for eight weeks The UK's first case of sexually transmitted Zika has been detected, health officials believe. They said a woman was likely to have been infected with the virus by her partner, who had recently visited a Zika-hit country. That was one of two cases of the virus seen by Public Health England (PHE) in the last week, which the body said took the total number of UK Zika diagnoses to 265 since the outbreak began in 2015, including seven pregnant women. Of those, 181 have been confirmed, PHE said in an update released on Wednesday. Continue reading... |
| Bob Geldof rails against Brexit as he backs Lib Dems in Richmond Park Posted: 30 Nov 2016 10:43 AM PST Singer who 'wants to argue with guys who want out' calls for tactical voting in byelection to defeat Brexiter Zac Goldsmith Bob Geldof's last significant intervention in the Brexit debate saw him chased down the river by a flotilla commandeered by Nigel Farage. With the battle of the Thames lost, Geldof is hoping for a better result back on dry land, campaigning with the Lib Dems to oust Brexiter Zac Goldsmith in the Richmond Park byelection. Appearing alongside the Lib Dem candidate, Sarah Olney, by Richmond station in south-west London, Geldof said he did not want to see MPs block the referendum result but said pro-EU arguments still had a place in the debate. "We accept the result of the referendum, but it's our responsibility and duty to debate it, to persuade people," he said. "This is a bust. We can't derail the process, but we are voting in some like [Olney] who will stand in parliament and speak for her constituents who voted overwhelming to stay in Europe. Continue reading... |
| Blaze of Glory: the grand tradition of burning the American flag Posted: 30 Nov 2016 10:33 AM PST Donald Trump has tweeted that he wants to jail anyone who sets fire to the stars and stripes. But this act of protest has a special place in US history Jimi Hendrix did not need a match to burn the American flag. All he needed to desecrate Old Glory was an electric guitar. When Hendrix started to play the national anthem at Woodstock in 1969, the audience must have been baffled. Patriotic bullshit, man! But as he played The Star-Spangled Banner, he distorted it to produce increasingly painful, harsh and violent sounds. The Vietnam war and the dissonance of a US at odds with itself throb in the surreal chaos Hendrix makes of a song written in 1813 to express love of the flag: O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave Continue reading... |
| Trump's Islamophobic rhetoric means a public health crisis for Muslims Posted: 30 Nov 2016 09:51 AM PST According to research, Islamophobia is associated with poor psychological outcomes among Muslims and can adversely affect physical health Sarah Zaffar was stopped at a red light near Huntington Beach, California – a predominantly pro-Trump town – when a truck pulled up beside her. "Hey, hey!" bellowed a white man in a wife-beater and a buzz-cut, trying to get her attention. |
| Animal hackers: altered creatures star in London exhibition Posted: 30 Nov 2016 09:25 AM PST Wellcome Collection shows transgenic goat and rat bred to prefer alcohol in exhibition exploring humans' perceptions of animals What links an African clawed frog once used as a human pregnancy test, a transgenic goat bred to produce super-strong silk and a rat whose preference for booze may have helped Finnish alcoholics? All three have gone on display at a new exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection alongside art works which include roadkill taxidermy and a film that tells the true story of a man who kept a pet tiger in his New York apartment. Continue reading... |
| Chapecoense goalkeeper Nivaldo confirms retirement after plane crash Posted: 30 Nov 2016 08:33 AM PST • 42-year-old had been due to play 300th and final game for club • 'I was supposed to go on the trip but ended up staying' The Chapecoense goalkeeper Nivaldo has confirmed his retirement 24 hours after the plane crash that killed 71 passengers in Colombia, including the majority of his team-mates. Related: Colombia plane crash: Brazil mourns victims from Chapecoense team flight Continue reading... |
| 'Alt-right': why the Guardian decided not to ban use of the term Posted: 30 Nov 2016 07:59 AM PST How the Guardian made its decision on use of the term for the far right that one critic called 'helpfully sanitising nomenclature' Both before and, more so, after the election of Donald Trump as the next US president, debate in the media about the use of the term "alt-right" has been strong and forthright. Some regard it as a "helpfully sanitising nomenclature … for a movement that is defined by an ideology of ethnic purity, and encompassing neo-Nazis, white supremacists and even the Ku Klux Klan". To that end, the US news website ThinkProgress has decided not to use the term at all, except when quoting other people, because it "won't do racists' public relations work for them". Continue reading... |
| Tusk highlights growing frustration but has not toughened EU stance Posted: 30 Nov 2016 06:20 AM PST EU council president's intervention echoes widespread view that UK will not be able to 'have its cake and eat it' Donald Tusk's reply to British MPs who had written urging him to act swiftly to reduce the anxiety and uncertainty of EU citizens living in each others' countries after Brexit was frank – even sarcastic. "It is a very interesting argument, the only problem being that it has nothing to do with reality," the EU council president wrote. "But would you not agree that the only source of anxiety and uncertainty is rather the decision on Brexit?" Continue reading... |
| Martin Scorsese meets Pope Francis 30 years after Christ film row Posted: 30 Nov 2016 05:50 AM PST Pontiff receives Scorsese family at the Vatican a day after a screening of director's new film about Portuguese Jesuits in Japan Nearly three decades after his film The Last Temptation of Christ was deemed "morally offensive" by officials in the Roman Catholic church, Martin Scorsese met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday. The American director, who is said to have considered joining the priesthood when he was a young man, met the pope a day after his new film, Silence, about Portuguese Jesuits in 17th-century Japan, was shown to an audience of 300 Jesuit priests at a pontifical college. Continue reading... |
| Fresh hope for Kandahar newborns as Afghan healthcare gets a shot in the arm | Matthew Green Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:00 PM PST Infant mortality rates in Afghanistan were once among the world's worst, but a new children's unit at Kandahar's Mirwais hospital is accelerating slow progress Among the tiniest of the premature babies slumbering in incubators at the Mirwais hospital, one bore a name chosen by hospital staff. At five days old, "Fatima" had been abandoned by her mother after being born so early that her family assumed she was destined for the grave. Had her relatives grasped the welcome transformation unfolding at the government-run medical centre in Kandahar, the largest city in southern Afghanistan, they might have held their newborn a little tighter. Continue reading... |
| Mobilising aid through the private sector can yield high poverty reduction returns Posted: 30 Nov 2016 04:19 AM PST While UK aid channelled to the private sector should be more transparent, such investment can nonetheless have a big impact on the lives of the world's poor There has been no shortage of criticism levelled at the UK government over its recent proposal to increase the limit on aid funding it can channel through its private sector arm, the CDC. The Department for International Development (DfID) has been under fire over issues ranging from lack of transparency to a failure to demonstrate development impact. The latter point was highlighted by a National Audit Office (NAO) report published on Monday. Continue reading... |
| Motherhood in Aleppo: 'Did I give birth to him to see a life like this?' | Umm Leen Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:22 AM PST Amid heavy shelling in the Syrian city, local resident Umm Leen gave birth to her son a month early. With food and other basic resources scarce, and the ongoing siege intensifying, she fears what the future holds. Here, she tells her story The siege has been bad, but we didn't fear it as much as we fear the bombs. My eldest daughter is 16. She was six months pregnant, but suffered a miscarriage two weeks ago. I had a son of 12, but he was killed by a piece of shrapnel that pierced his heart. My youngest is a baby boy, aged three months – I gave birth to him during the siege. Continue reading... |
| Hillary Clinton surprises Katy Perry to present her with Unicef award – video Posted: 30 Nov 2016 01:31 PM PST Hillary Clinton made a surprise appearance at the Unicef Snowflake Ball on Tuesday in New York. The former secretary of state and US presidential candidate presented pop star Katy Perry with the Audrey Hepburn humanitarian award for her work as a Unicef goodwill ambassador Continue reading... |
| Opportunist thief steals pot of gold in New York – video Posted: 30 Nov 2016 12:36 PM PST Surveillance footage released on Tuesday shows an opportunistic thief stealing a bucket of gold, worth $1.6m, from the back of an armored truck in Manhattan, New York. In the footage, shot in September, the man is seen walking past the unguarded vehicle, he then spots the gold, and quickly walks off with it. The man is still at large Continue reading... |
| New footage shows Keith Scott carrying gun, prosecutors say – video Posted: 30 Nov 2016 11:51 AM PST No state criminal charges will be brought against the police officer who fatally shot Keith Scott in North Carolina earlier this year, prosecutors announced on Wednesday. Andrew Murray, the district attorney in Charlotte, said that officer Brentley Vinson's shooting of Scott in September was justified because Scott refused to drop a gun held at his side. Murray showed footage of Scott at a convenience store before the shooting to back up his findings Keith Scott shooting: no charges to be filed against Charlotte police officer Continue reading... |
| Trump's Treasury pick says he will target taxes and trade reforms – video Posted: 30 Nov 2016 08:56 AM PST Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday the Trump administration would target tax reform and trade pact overhauls as top priorities as they seek to achieve 3% to 4% economic growth. 'We believe that's very sustainable,' he told reporters Continue reading... |
| Brazilian relatives mourn plane crash victims – video Posted: 30 Nov 2016 03:07 AM PST Family members of the Chapecoense football team and of journalists who were aboard the plane that crashed in Colombia speak of their grief in Brazil on Tuesday. The charter aircraft crashed on approach to Medellín on Monday, killing 75 people of the 81 on board Continue reading... |
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