World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Urgent calls to save Aleppo civilians as UN voices alarm over atrocity reports
- Rex Tillerson to be Trump's secretary of state, say reports, after Romney confirms he is out
- Fossil fuel divestment funds double to $5tn in a year
- 'Rebel' Saudi Arabia woman who posted photo without head scarf is arrested
- Iran and Turkey's secret talks on Syria revealed
- Brazil president Michel Temer accused of soliciting millions in illegal donations
- Arab sheikhs banned from bustard hunts by Pakistani province
- Italy plans Monte dei Paschi di Siena rescue if private bailout fails
- Migrant workers in Qatar still at risk despite reforms, warns Amnesty
- Christine Lagarde in court over €400m payout to French tycoon
- Turkish police carry out mass arrests in wake of Istanbul bombings
- Pope Francis appeals to Assad to protect Syria's civilians
- The Gambia's president urged to accept defeat by new government
- Colombia plane crash: passengers were not told to wear seatbelts, survivor says
- Thieves in France steal 'dozens of kilos' of gold in armoured van raid
- Record number of journalists in jail globally after Turkey crackdown
- Snake eats wallaby on Australian golf course
- Italian banking crisis: UniCredit to raise €13bn
- Why do EU leaders still think they can engage with Eritrea's regime?
- Russia and conflicts of interest: Rex Tillerson embodies quandaries for Trump
- Colombia: brutal rape and death of girl shocks country marred by crime
- Terror arrests made after 'significant plot to attack UK is disrupted'
- Alabama police help man with unique wedding proposal – video
- Danilo, Chapecoense goalkeeper killed in plane crash, is Brazil player of the year
- Rodrigo Duterte's allies press for senator critical of drug war to be charged
- NT police search for teacher who went missing while swimming in watering hole
- Eyewitness: Poschiavo, Switzerland
- What are your hopes and fears for 2017?
- The German doctor's surgery left untouched for 30 years – in pictures
- Trial of Jakarta governor Ahok begins as hundreds of Islamic hardliners protest
- Chinese state tabloid warns Donald Trump: 'Pride goes before a fall'
- Aleppo: Assad forces within 'moments' of retaking city amid reports of atrocities
- Spain leaves Franco in past as it seeks to move clocks back an hour
- One less woman in politics: Wonder Woman loses job as UN ambassador
- Britain pandering to Saudi confrontation | Letters
- Dickens wrote the script on killer drivers | Letters
- Donald Trump still set on relocating US embassy in Israel, adviser says
- Google and Cuba sign deal to store data on island's servers
- The battle for eastern Aleppo in maps: how rebel territory is shrinking
- Aleppo under heavy bombardment as Syrian army advances – video
- Women's groups urge Scotland to scrap two doctors abortion rule
- 'I voted for a safe choice': readers on the Romanian election
- Panic button: how can safety apps for women curb sexual assaults in India?
- Cairo bombing: Sisi names suicide bomber as Coptic Christians protest
- Russia praises possible Trump pick Rex Tillerson's 'highly professional manner'
- Syria's ancient city Palmyra under control of Islamic State again – video
- Water worlds: can you guess the city from the river?
- Attack on the drones: the creeping privatisation of our urban airspace
- Progress on malaria deaths at risk without big boost in funding, UN warns
- Surviving war in Yemen: 'I dream of going home' – in pictures
- Donald Trump attempting to play Nixon's 'China card' in reverse
- Mitch McConnell and John McCain back Russian hacking inquiry – video
- China warns Trump of damage to bilateral relations – video
| Urgent calls to save Aleppo civilians as UN voices alarm over atrocity reports Posted: 13 Dec 2016 01:41 AM PST Thousands of people remain trapped as Assad troops and Iranian-backed militias close in on last opposition-held areas of Syrian city The Red Cross has urgently appealed for civilians in east Aleppo to be protected "before it is too late", adding that it was ready to help with evacuations if an agreement can be reached as forces loyal to the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad close in on remaining opposition enclaves. "We need to act now," said Pawel Krzysiek, the head of communications at the international committee of the Red Cross, who is in Aleppo. "We need to depoliticise the process of protecting civilians. We need to put their lives first. And we need to do it now before it is not too late. Continue reading... |
| Rex Tillerson to be Trump's secretary of state, say reports, after Romney confirms he is out Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:22 PM PST Former governor of Massachusetts says it was an 'honour to be considered' and makes way for president of Exxon Mobil who has close ties to Russia Mitt Romney has confirmed he is not Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, leaving Rex Tillerson, the Exxon Mobil president, as the most likely person to become America's top diplomat. Related: Russia and conflicts of interest: Rex Tillerson embodies quandaries for Trump Continue reading... |
| Fossil fuel divestment funds double to $5tn in a year Posted: 12 Dec 2016 08:00 AM PST UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon welcomes new total revealing concern over coal, oil and gas investments has entered financial mainstream The value of investment funds committed to selling off fossil fuel assets has jumped to $5.2tn, doubling in just over a year. The new total, published on Monday, was welcomed by the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, who said: "It's clear the transition to a clean energy future is inevitable, beneficial and well underway, and that investors have a key role to play." Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Rebel' Saudi Arabia woman who posted photo without head scarf is arrested Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:11 AM PST Malak al-Shehri's tweet defying Saudi dress code caused backlash, with many people calling for her to be executed, but supporters comparing her to Rosa Parks Saudi police have arrested a young woman who tweeted a picture of herself outdoors without the body-length robes and head scarf that women in the kingdom are required to wear. A woman identified as Malak al-Shehri posted a picture of herself on Twitter in a jacket and multi-colored dress last month after announcing that she would leave her house without her abaya, a long loose-fitting robe, and headscarf. Continue reading... |
| Iran and Turkey's secret talks on Syria revealed Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:08 PM PST Plan envisaged ceasefire, national unity government and elections under UN supervision but collapsed over worries about Assad's role, says report Iran and Turkey held secret talks on peace proposals for Syria in 2013 and as recently as this year, but the talks broke down amid mutual suspicions, according to a new report to be published on Tuesday. The report on the Iran-Turkey relationship by the International Crisis Group (ICG), is based on interviews with top officials. It is being published as pro-regime forces, including Iranian-led militias, storm the last rebel-held districts of Aleppo amid reports of massacres. Continue reading... |
| Brazil president Michel Temer accused of soliciting millions in illegal donations Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:51 AM PST Allegations against Temer could be part of ongoing investigation into whether bribe money helped fund 2014 campaign to re-elect Dilma Rousseff Brazil's president, Michel Temer, is facing allegations that he solicited £2.3m ($2.9m) in illegal campaign donations in 2014, further weakening the position of a deeply unpopular leader. In a poll published Sunday but carried out before the new accusations surfaced, 63% of Brazilians said they wanted Temer to resign for new elections. A judge on Brazil's highest electoral court told the Guardian that the accusations – which Temer denies – could form part of an ongoing investigation into whether bribe money helped fund the 2014 campaign that saw Dilma Rousseff re-elected president with Temer as her running mate. That could even lead to him losing his mandate. |
| Arab sheikhs banned from bustard hunts by Pakistani province Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:24 AM PST Houbara bustard's meat is prized for its supposed aphrodisiac qualities and the bird is considered to be at risk of extinction One of Pakistan's four provinces has banned Arab sheikhs from hunting a protected species of bird, defying Islamabad's longstanding policy of giving hunting licences to key regional allies. Swaths of habitat used in the winter by the migratory houbara bustard are allocated in blocks to the some of the most senior people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, who come armed with specially modified vehicles and radar systems to track the birds. Continue reading... |
| Italy plans Monte dei Paschi di Siena rescue if private bailout fails Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:29 AM PST State would inject billions of euros into struggling bank if capital-raising plan does not work, says finance ministry official Italy is prepared to launch a multibillion-euro rescue of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) by the end of this week if the bank fails in its last-ditch effort to secure €5bn (£4.2bn) from private investors, according to a finance ministry official. The official told the Guardian the ministry was "fully confident" that the world's oldest bank would be able to carry through its plans to bolster its financial strength without recourse to the taxpayer. Continue reading... |
| Migrant workers in Qatar still at risk despite reforms, warns Amnesty Posted: 12 Dec 2016 04:01 PM PST Exploitative kafala system has been abolished but fears remain that forced labour on Gulf state's 2022 World Cup infrastructure will continue Workers building 2022 World Cup stadiums in Qatar will remain at risk of forced labour because of "meagre reforms" that "barely scratch the surface" of the Gulf state's exploitation of migrant labour, Amnesty International UK has warned. A law change that comes into effect on Tuesday, which Qatar says guarantees greater flexibility, freedom and protection for workers, will not "significantly change the exploitative relationship between employers and workers", said the rights group. Continue reading... |
| Christine Lagarde in court over €400m payout to French tycoon Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:37 AM PST IMF chief goes on trial accused of negligence after approving Bernard Tapie settlement as France's finance minister Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, has gone on trial accused of negligence over a €400m (£335m) payment made to a French tycoon while she was the country's finance minister. Lagarde approved the payment from public funds to the businessman Bernard Tapie, who was a friend of the then president, Nicolas Sarkozy. |
| Turkish police carry out mass arrests in wake of Istanbul bombings Posted: 12 Dec 2016 04:39 AM PST Pro-Kurdish politicians, including mayors and officials linked to PKK, targeted as 235 people in 11 cities held on terror charges Turkish police have carried out a wave of arrests targeting pro-Kurdish politicians and individuals after Saturday's twin bombing attack outside a football stadium in Istanbul, which killed 44 people. The car bomb and suicide attack killed eight civilians and 36 police officers stationed in Beşiktaş, on Istanbul's European side, Recep Akdağ, the health minister, said. At least 150 people were wounded. Continue reading... |
| Pope Francis appeals to Assad to protect Syria's civilians Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:42 AM PST Letter delivered in Damascus urges Syrian president to ensure international humanitarian law is fully respected Pope Francis has launched a last-ditch appeal to Bashar al-Assad, urging the Syrian president to respect international humanitarian law and to protect the rights of civilians in the country's bloody civil war. Francis's message was contained in a letter delivered directly to Assad on Monday by Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican's top diplomat in Syria. Continue reading... |
| The Gambia's president urged to accept defeat by new government Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:48 AM PST Four senior African leaders preparing to fly in to persuade Yahya Jammeh to go after he pledged to annul election despite initially conceding defeat The president-elect of the Gambia has demanded that Yahya Jammeh step down immediately, as African leaders prepared to fly in and persuade the country's autocratic leader to reconsider his refusal to accept defeat and resign. After 22 years in power in the west African nation, it came as a surprise to many when Jammeh, an autocratic leader who had said he would rule for "a billion years if Allah willed it", accepted defeat in a televised call to Adama Barrow, the leader of the opposition coalition. |
| Colombia plane crash: passengers were not told to wear seatbelts, survivor says Posted: 12 Dec 2016 07:46 AM PST Brazilian journalist Rafael Henzel said pilot did not give warning before crash that killed 71 people: 'We kept flying without any idea of what was about to happen' A survivor of a plane crash in Colombia that killed 71 people says the pilot never told passengers to fasten their seatbelt before the aircraft smashed into a hillside. Related: 'Our club represented Brazil': Chapecoense tragedy a crushing blow to nation in crisis Continue reading... |
| Thieves in France steal 'dozens of kilos' of gold in armoured van raid Posted: 12 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST Four raiders forced vehicle off A6 road in south-east, locking two operators inside before making off with haul, say police Police are combing fields and towns in south-east France in a search for four thieves who stole dozens of kilograms of gold from an armoured van before setting cars on fire near a major motorway. The thieves, in two cars, surrounded the van and forced it off the A6 road between Paris and Lyon on Monday, a spokesman for the national gendarmerie said. They then seized the gold, locked the two security workers in the back of the van and set one of their own cars on fire before fleeing, according to the spokesman. Continue reading... |
| Record number of journalists in jail globally after Turkey crackdown Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:35 AM PST Committee to Protect Journalists says 259 journalists jailed globally as of 1 December, the highest annual figure since it started keeping records in 1990 More journalists have been imprisoned this year by governments around the world than at any time in nearly 30 years, primarily because of the crackdown in Turkey after the failed coup in July. According to the annual survey compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), there were 259 journalists in jail as of 1 December, and at least 81 of those were in Turkish prisons. Continue reading... |
| Snake eats wallaby on Australian golf course Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:25 AM PST Players were surprised to discover the python eating the wallaby during their round of golf Continue reading... |
| Italian banking crisis: UniCredit to raise €13bn Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:11 AM PST Bank, which has lost half its value this year, will launch Italy's largest share issue and use the cash to remove bad debts Italy's largest bank, UniCredit, is to raise €13bn (£11bn) in the country's biggest share issue to clean up its balance sheet and boost longer term profitability. UniCredit's move, announced on Tuesday, comes at a troubled time for Italian banks and the economy, with the third-largest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena, at risk of failure, a new government installed in Rome and early elections expected next year. Continue reading... |
| Why do EU leaders still think they can engage with Eritrea's regime? Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST European officials under pressure to cut migration should have learned by now that ignoring human rights violations is unlikely to succeed As the European parliament hosts another Eritrean politician in the hope of reducing the number of refugees fleeing the small African state, the fact that the regime has been found guilty of "crimes against humanity" by the UN has once again been overlooked. The event, organised by Irish MEP Brian Hayes and attended by Eritrea's minister of information, Yemane Gebremeskel, is the latest example of the EU's attempts to tackle the refugee crisis by reaching out to repressive regimes. Continue reading... |
| Russia and conflicts of interest: Rex Tillerson embodies quandaries for Trump Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:51 PM PST President-elect and his pick for secretary of state both face trial by fire over business deals and links to Moscow, amid claims of election interference By nominating Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, Donald Trump will ignite a battle in Congress over the two issues that look set to overshadow the opening chapters of his presidency: Russia and conflicts of interest. Tillerson embodies both quandaries. The ExxonMobil executive has grown close to Vladimir Putin and his circle through a succession of oil deals. The fate of those deals would give him a private interest when he comes to negotiate with Moscow as secretary of state. Lifting sanctions would unshackle ExxonMobil's planned multi-billion dollar operations in Russia, and boost Tillerson's retirement fund. Continue reading... |
| Colombia: brutal rape and death of girl shocks country marred by crime Posted: 12 Dec 2016 04:33 AM PST Bogotá erupts in protests after it emerged suspect in killing of seven-year-old from a poor district is from a wealthy family Even in a country often numbed by outbreaks of violence and heinous crime, the brutal death of a seven-year-old indigenous girl has horrified Colombia. Yuliana Andrea Samboní was playing with a cousin outside her family's breeze-block home on the morning of 4 December in a poor neighbourhood of Bogotá when a man in a grey SUV snatched her from the street and sped away. Her body was found 10 hours later, raped, tortured and strangled, in the machine room of a hot tub at a nearby luxury penthouse. Continue reading... |
| Terror arrests made after 'significant plot to attack UK is disrupted' Posted: 12 Dec 2016 12:10 PM PST Six people arrested in Derby, Burton on Trent and London detained on suspicion of engaging in preparation of act of terrorism Counter-terrorism investigators have made six arrests after disrupting what they believe was a "significant plot" to attack the UK that was influenced by Islamic State. Material recovered from an address raided in Derby has been initially assessed as being consistent with that needed to make homemade explosives, the Guardian understands. Continue reading... |
| Alabama police help man with unique wedding proposal – video Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:26 AM PST Daiwon McPherson enlisted the help of his local police force to pull off a wedding proposal like no other. The Alabama resident convinced his girlfriend Shawna Blackmon that he was on the run and had a gun. When police surrounded them, instead of a gun he pulled a ring out of his jacket Continue reading... |
| Danilo, Chapecoense goalkeeper killed in plane crash, is Brazil player of the year Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:15 PM PST Fans' vote awards accolade to keeper whose last-minute save took underdog team to final of the Copa Sudamericana Chapecoense goalkeeper Danilo, who was killed in the Colombian air crash last month, was posthumously named Brazil's player of the year on Monday after a vote by fans. Danilo, whose last-gasp save in the semi-final against San Lorenzo helped his side into the Copa Sudamericana final, got 48% of the internet vote. Continue reading... |
| Rodrigo Duterte's allies press for senator critical of drug war to be charged Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:29 PM PST Criminal complaint against senator Leila de Lima is the latest government action against her since she led an inquiry into extrajudicial killings Allies of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte have filed a criminal complaint against a senator who has been an outspoken critic of a surge of extrajudicial killings unleashed by the president's campaign against drugs. The legal complaint against senator Leila de Lima, who was justice minister in a previous administration, is the latest government action against her since she led an inquiry into the killings. Continue reading... |
| NT police search for teacher who went missing while swimming in watering hole Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:44 AM PST Centralian Middle School teacher was swimming at Ellery Creek Big Hole during a school excursion A teacher has gone missing while swimming at a watering hole in the Northern Territory during a school excursion. Police have launched a search and rescue operation at Ellery Rock Big Hole in the McDonnell Ranges for the man aged in his 40s. Continue reading... |
| Eyewitness: Poschiavo, Switzerland Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:05 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| What are your hopes and fears for 2017? Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:41 PM PST We want your predictions for what kind of year is in store for wherever you are in the world 2016 has been a year that has seen terrorist attacks, war in the Middle East, a still-unfolding refugee crisis, worrying signs on climate change, Britain voting to leave the European Union and a rise in populism capped by the phrase 'President-elect Trump'. We'd like to hear your hopes, fears and predictions for 2017. Continue reading... |
| The German doctor's surgery left untouched for 30 years – in pictures Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:25 PM PST Almost 30 years after the death of urologist Dr Klaus Kraft, his surgery in Bad Wildungen, north Hesse, remains as it was left. Dusty kidney samples, rusting utensils and a mouldy treatment chair remain in the dilapidated surgery. The images were taken by urban explorer Sascha Jung. Continue reading... |
| Trial of Jakarta governor Ahok begins as hundreds of Islamic hardliners protest Posted: 12 Dec 2016 07:45 PM PST Ahok tells court it is not possible for him to insult Islam, as angry crowds gather in the Indonesian capital for the first day of his blasphemy trial
Hundreds of protestors, some dressed in white Muslim garb, gathered outside the court in the Indonesian capital for the first day of the trial, demanding the governor be jailed for allegedly insulting Islam. Continue reading... |
| Chinese state tabloid warns Donald Trump: 'Pride goes before a fall' Posted: 12 Dec 2016 07:10 PM PST Global Times attack comes as experts say Beijing will be looking for president-elect's 'pressure points' before inauguration A Communist party-controlled newspaper has launched a searing attack on Donald Trump after the president-elect threatened a realignment of his country's policies towards China, warning the US president-elect: "Pride goes before a fall." The Global Times, a notoriously rambunctious state-run tabloid, was writing after Trump reignited a simmering row with Beijing by suggesting he might recognise Taiwan, which China regards as a breakaway province, unless Beijing agreed a new "deal" with his administration. Continue reading... |
| Aleppo: Assad forces within 'moments' of retaking city amid reports of atrocities Posted: 12 Dec 2016 06:46 PM PST UN chief expresses 'grave concern' over reports of attacks on civilians, as bombardment of rebel areas by Syrian army continued nonstop on Monday Residents of east Aleppo have sent out desperate messages imploring the international community to save civilians in besieged districts of the Syrian city, as forces loyal to the president, Bashar al-Assad, bear down on the remaining enclaves still controlled by the opposition. Related: Iran and Turkey's secret talks on Syria revealed Continue reading... |
| Spain leaves Franco in past as it seeks to move clocks back an hour Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:44 PM PST Labour minister hopes to banish Franco-era decision to align country with Hitler's Germany Spain's government will consider reversing a decision by dictator Francisco Franco and move the country's clocks back one hour, the labour minister said on Monday. Spain was originally in the Greenwich Mean Time zone – along with Britain and Portugal, with which it is geographically in line – but Franco shifted Spain's clocks one hour ahead to be in line with Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany. Continue reading... |
| One less woman in politics: Wonder Woman loses job as UN ambassador Posted: 12 Dec 2016 02:02 PM PST Plans to use superhero in an honorary role in empowerment campaign to fight for gender equality prompted criticism that the choice sent the wrong messages Wonder Woman's tenure as a United Nations honorary ambassador will come to an abrupt end on Friday, less than two months after the appointment of the comic book character sparked outcries of protest. Plans had called for the use of Wonder Woman in an empowerment campaign for women and girls into 2017, according to the comic book's publisher, but the character's role is ending this week, a UN spokesman said on Monday. Continue reading... |
| Britain pandering to Saudi confrontation | Letters Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:48 AM PST Your report of the prime minister's speech in Bahrain (Theresa May calls on Gulf leaders to press on with economic reforms, theguardian.com, 7 December) quoted her support for the Iran nuclear deal and went on that she said the UK remained "clear-eyed" about Iran's threat to the stability of the Middle East. You did not quote the words that followed: "But we must also work together to push back against Iran's aggressive regional actions, whether in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria or in the Gulf itself." What aggressive actions? In Syria Hezbollah and some Iranian "military advisers", not numerous, have been backing the Syrian government, which may be bad but is hardly aggression. In Yemen there have been many reports of Iranian arms smuggled to the Houthi rebels, some of them quite convincing, and there may be more intelligence, but not to be compared to Saudi actions including reported war crimes using British material. In Iraq, Iran is taking part in action against Isis in Mosul alongside the Iraqi government and the US-led coalition. Continue reading... |
| Dickens wrote the script on killer drivers | Letters Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:37 AM PST Susanna Rustin (Killer Drivers are the biggest stranger danger of all, 7 December) tells us that in 1925 F Scott Fitzgerald "perceived the sociopathic potential of driving". But careless driving was not born with the motor car. In A Tale of Two Cities in 1859 Charles Dickens had written of the dangers of "hard driving" and describes an aristocrat in his horse-drawn coach being driven at a reckless speed, "with an inhuman abandonment of consideration not easy to understand in these days". So when his coach kills a child, he obviously feels no remorse or fear of the law, telling the distraught father: "It is extraordinary to me that you people cannot take care of yourselves and your children." He then speeds carelessly away, presumably to endanger and ruin more lives. So what's new? • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump still set on relocating US embassy in Israel, adviser says Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:12 AM PST Senior aide Kellyanne Conway says president-elect considers the contentious move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem a 'very big priority' A senior adviser to Donald Trump has reiterated that the president-elect is determined to overturn years of government policy and move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after his inauguration in January. The comments were made by Kellyanne Conway in a radio interview on Monday, and reiterated Trump's campaign commitment to move the embassy in what would be a highly contentious move. Continue reading... |
| Google and Cuba sign deal to store data on island's servers Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:50 AM PST Deal that eliminates long distances signal have to travel through Venezuela removes major obstacle to normal, faster internet in Cuba Google and the Cuban government have signed a deal allowing the internet giant to provide faster access to its data by installing servers on the island that will store much of the company's most popular content. Storing Google data in Cuba eliminates the long distances that signals must travel from the island through Venezuela to the nearest Google server. More than a half century after cutting virtually all economic ties with Cuba, the US has no direct data link to the island. Continue reading... |
| The battle for eastern Aleppo in maps: how rebel territory is shrinking Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:50 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... |
| Aleppo under heavy bombardment as Syrian army advances – video Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:00 AM PST Aleppo's eastern districts come under heavy fire from forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad on Monday as they advance deeper into the city. Nearly all of the city is under government control except for a small pocket held by the rebels towards the south-west of the city centre. Medical facilities still in operation told the Associated Press that clinics were overwhelmed with the number of wounded people needing assistance Assad forces close to capturing east Aleppo after 'doomsday' bombardment Continue reading... |
| Women's groups urge Scotland to scrap two doctors abortion rule Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:54 AM PST Devolution of abortion law to Holyrood offers opportunity to develop a distinct approach, campaigners say The Scottish government should scrap the legal requirement for two doctors to approve a termination, effectively decriminalising the procedure, and consider regulating abortion drugs for use by women in their own homes, according to a report by a coalition of women's rights organisations. With abortion law devolved to Holyrood as part of the Scotland Act 2016, the report argues that the SNP government must now "be bold in creating a distinctive approach" by removing it from criminal statute and regulating it like any other healthcare procedure. |
| 'I voted for a safe choice': readers on the Romanian election Posted: 12 Dec 2016 07:54 AM PST We asked readers how they voted in the Romanian parliamentary elections. Here's what some of them said The Romanian centre-left party the Social Democrats (PSD) have won the country's parliamentary elections following the departure of its last socialist prime minister due to corruption. The Social Democrats won 46% of Sunday's election votes with the National Liberal Party (PNL) coming second with around 20%. Founded in 2015, new anti-corruption party Save Romania Union (USR) came third in the polls as they promised to tackle the inefficiency and cronyism in the country. |
| Panic button: how can safety apps for women curb sexual assaults in India? Posted: 12 Dec 2016 07:08 AM PST Most women who have emergency alarms on their phones never used them, reflecting the limitations of tech-based solutions without real-world advocacy Three years ago, Shaliya was so shy she didn't want to leave her house. Like many of the 64 million people living in India's sprawling slums, her home in New Delhi's Sanjay camp had no toilet, and she dreaded the lewd comments from men loitering on the street if she had to walk to the public toilets yards away. Shaliya has worked hard in the last three years, setting herself up as a youth leader and trying to tackle the problem of women's safety in her neighbourhood. She runs an online map that shows areas that aren't safe or that have no lighting, and tries to educate parents about why girls and boys must study and play together, and respect each other. And she advises other shy young girls how to deal with intimidating comments or threats from men on the street, trying to make their own walk to the public toilet slightly more safe. Continue reading... |
| Cairo bombing: Sisi names suicide bomber as Coptic Christians protest Posted: 12 Dec 2016 06:12 AM PST Coptic pope attempts to heal sectarian frictions, saying attack was 'a disaster for the whole nation' Mourners have paid their respects to the victims of Sunday's attack on the seat of Coptic Christianity in Egypt, as the Coptic pope sought to heal sectarian frictions amid rising anger from a minority that claims it is insufficiently protected. The attack on St Peter and St Paul church, adjoining Cairo's St Mark's Cathedral, took place during Sunday morning prayers and killed 24 people, most of them women and children, according to an updated toll issued by the health ministry on Monday. At least 45 others were injured. There has been no claim of responsibility. Continue reading... |
| Russia praises possible Trump pick Rex Tillerson's 'highly professional manner' Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:53 AM PST The appointment of ExxonMobil CEO, who has close ties with the Kremlin, would help improve relations between Russia and US, a Russian politician said The Kremlin has praised the professionalism of Rex Tillerson, thought to be Donald Trump's leading contender for secretary of state, the ExxonMobil CEO who has forged close ties to Russia. "On account of his work as the head of one of the largest oil companies, he had contacts with our representatives more than once," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday. "He fulfills his responsibilities in a highly professional manner." Continue reading... |
| Syria's ancient city Palmyra under control of Islamic State again – video Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:04 AM PST The historic Syrian city of Palmyra has been recaptured by Islamic State fighters for the second time. Despite heavy air support from Russia, Syrian government troops left the city after days of intense fighting . The defeat raises questions about the strength of the Syrian army after years of fighting on multiple fronts Continue reading... |
| Water worlds: can you guess the city from the river? Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:00 PM PST Designer Alex Szabo-Haslam has stripped out the street names and highlighted the water features around 11 world cities. Can you identify them? All images by Alex Szabo-Haslam/OpenStreetMap New Orleans New Delhi Newcastle Paris Pamplona Prague Dundee Durban Dublin Milan Moscow Madrid Tokyo Toronto Tel Aviv Guatemala City Panama City Brasilia Amsterdam Venice Birmingham Sydney Saint John St Petersburg Montreal Montpellier Montevideo Washington Rome Warsaw Buenos Aires Budapest Belgrade Continue reading... |
| Attack on the drones: the creeping privatisation of our urban airspace Posted: 12 Dec 2016 03:28 AM PST Who owns the air above our cities? The public and the media are in danger of losing access to a valuable common resource, with corporations given priority We woke up before dawn and caught the first train to Waterloo, so we could capture some aerial footage in the early morning London light with no one around. We were interested in using a drone to get a vantage point that no rooftop could offer, looking down on the under-renovation South Bank Tower. Lifting off from a grassy, flat expanse next to the river Thames, we quickly vaulted to the height of a 30-storey building and began capturing slow, sweeping images from a bird's-eye view. But then a security guard emerged from the building and ran towards us. "You can't fly that here," he yelled. Continue reading... |
| Progress on malaria deaths at risk without big boost in funding, UN warns Posted: 12 Dec 2016 04:01 PM PST A World Health Organisation report says £5bn a year will be needed by 2020 to tackle the disease, but funding has flatlined, this year standing at £2.3bn Real progress in driving down infections and deaths from malaria will be at risk if substantially more funding is not forthcoming, according to the latest annual report on the epidemic. Related: How Sri Lanka bit back at mosquitoes and wiped out malaria – podcast Continue reading... |
| Surviving war in Yemen: 'I dream of going home' – in pictures Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:27 AM PST Twenty months of war have devastated Yemen, with 7 million people facing hunger, and 3 million forced to leave their homes. The ICRC is one of the organisations supporting displaced people. As the Disasters Emergency Committee launches an appeal for people in desperate need in the country, families at a camp in Dharwan, on the outskirts of Sana'a, share their stories Photographs by Mohammed Yaseen for ICRC Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump attempting to play Nixon's 'China card' in reverse Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:41 AM PST President-elect's willingness to antagonise Beijing over trade and Taiwan indicates a shredding of 45 years of US-China relations By once again testing China's nerves over Taiwan, Donald Trump is injecting a dangerous element of uncertainty and unpredictability into US relations with Beijing – the exact opposite of what American presidents usually try to do when dealing with potentially hostile rival superpowers. Trump's public questioning of the long-established One China policy, under which Washington accepts that Taiwan is part of China, is a knife in the troubled heart of the US-China relationship established by Richard Nixon's famous "opening to China" and his groundbreaking meeting with Mao Zedong in 1972. Continue reading... |
| Mitch McConnell and John McCain back Russian hacking inquiry – video Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:26 AM PST Senators John McCain and Mitch McConnell are among the leading Republicans calling for a bipartisan investigation into allegations that Russia influenced the US election. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, along with others in the GOP, have dismissed claims that Russian hackers disrupted the election to favor Trump. Barack Obama on Friday called for a full inquiry ahead of the president-elect's inauguration in January Continue reading... |
| China warns Trump of damage to bilateral relations – video Posted: 12 Dec 2016 06:38 AM PST A Chinese official on Monday reacts to the comments of US president-elect Donald Trump in which he said that he saw no reason why the US should continuing abiding by the "One China" policy – under which Washington does not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state. China's spokesperson Geng Shuang says Trump risks damaging US-China bilateral relations Continue reading... |
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