World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Aceh earthquake: 54 dead and dozens feared trapped in Indonesia
- The Gambia's new rulers vow to prosecute outgoing president
- Sea ice extent in Arctic and Antarctic reached record lows in November
- China asks US to block Taiwan president trip after talk of Donald Trump meeting
- Thousands pay tribute to Jayalalithaa Jayaram in Chennai
- Earth's day lengthens by two milliseconds a century, astronomers find
- Trump: Boeing should lose Air Force One contract over 'out of control' cost
- Net earnings: top YouTubers' income rises 23% in past year
- FBI's credibility 'deeply damaged' by leaks during election, congressman says
- Angela Merkel endorses party's call for partial ban on burqa and niqab
- Paris hopes to raise €100,000 for refugees with love locks sale
- Milo Yiannopoulos's university speaking events cancelled over security concerns
- South Korean president Park Geun-hye defies calls to quit
- Air traffic controller who had revealed cause of Colombia crash flees to Brazil
- Rouhani: we won't let Trump tear up US–Iran nuclear deal
- UK will have less than 18 months to reach deal, says EU Brexit broker
- Oakland fire: warehouse manager 'incredibly sorry' for blaze that killed 36
- May says she will reveal Brexit plan before triggering article 50
- King Bibi for a day: golden Netanyahu statue is toppled
- Matteo Renzi already plotting his return to Palazzo Chigi
- Chile can seek extradition of agents wanted in 1976 US attack, court rules
- Fidel Castro worked on Gabriel García Márquez's manuscripts
- Bird flu hits French foie gras industry at busiest time of year
- Saudi Arabia sentences 15 people to death for spying for Iran
- Tunisia urges UK tourists to return 18 months after Sousse beach attack
- China's terracotta warriors to return to UK for first time in nearly a decade
- Madonna on the US election: ‘It feels like women betrayed us’
- Syrian troops in control of Aleppo's Old City after rebels withdraw
- No sleep for Congolese mothers trying to save their girls from rape
- MPs debate call for government to publish its Brexit plan - Politics live
- 'We are still in mourning': Charleston congregants prepare for Dylann Roof trial
- Colombia plane crash: airline chief arrested over Chapecoense disaster
- Five-year-old boy hit by lightning after touching tap during Gold Coast storm
- Bird flu warning: keepers told to keep poultry inside
- British Antarctic research station to be moved due to deep crack in the ice
- Remembrance of tastes past: Syria’s disappearing food culture | Wendell Steavenson
- Thailand opens investigation into BBC for alleged insult of new king
- Despite climate change exodus, some Marshall Islanders head back home
- Thousands bid farewell to Jayalalithaa Jayaram at state funeral – video
- Sara Connor looked ‘messy’ and ‘pale’, Bali murder trial told
- The battle for eastern Aleppo in maps: how rebel territory is shrinking
- British thinktank received £25m from Bahraini royals, documents reveal
- Golden ‘King Bibi’ Netanhayu statue is knocked down – video
- Angela Merkel: burqa has no place in Germany – video
- Israel refuses visa to theologian over boycott and divestment activism
- Church of England to close Surrey care home owing to lack of staff
- Tributes paid to Rebecca Johnson, British tour guide killed in Lapland
- 'This was a protest vote': Sicilian city where 75% said no to Matteo Renzi
- Ex-child soldier Dominic Ongwen denies war crimes at ICC trial
- Jayalalithaa Jayaram's funeral – in pictures
- Loving country you live in part of Muslim faith, says Ahmadi leader
- Singapore's 'silver tsunami': how the city-state depends on its elderly workforce
- How to end gender violence? Give money to visionary local groups | Jessica Neuwirth
- Five west African countries ban 'dirty diesel' from Europe
- US will stop racing to topple foreign regimes, says Donald Trump – video
- Barack Obama defends his anti-terror strategy – video
- Joe Biden continues to hint at 2020 presidential run – video
- Cost of Air Force One order 'totally out of control', says Trump – video
| Aceh earthquake: 54 dead and dozens feared trapped in Indonesia Posted: 06 Dec 2016 11:30 PM PST Shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck at dawn as some in predominantly Muslim region of Indonesia prepared for morning prayers At least 54 people died and dozens were feared trapped in collapsed buildings after a powerful earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island at dawn on Wednesday. Search and rescue teams in Aceh province, an area previously devastated by a massive quake and tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004, used tractors to shift the rubble in attempts to reach people buried in their houses. Continue reading... |
| The Gambia's new rulers vow to prosecute outgoing president Posted: 06 Dec 2016 11:00 PM PST Yahya Jammeh has 'bunkers and treasure' at his farm near Senegal border and could start rebel movement, claims coalition The autocratic ruler of the Gambia will be prosecuted for his crimes within a year of handing over the reins of government in January, the chair of the country's new ruling coalition has vowed. Yahya Jammeh, whose defeat in last Thursday's election marks the first democratic transition of power in the tiny west African nation, is being prevented from leaving the country in case he starts a rebel movement, according to Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, the architect of the coalition and a senior politician considered the mother of the nation. |
| Sea ice extent in Arctic and Antarctic reached record lows in November Posted: 06 Dec 2016 01:08 PM PST 'Almost unprecedented' event attributed to warm temperatures and winds, with some areas more than 20C (36F) warmer than usual Both the Arctic and Antarctic experienced record lows in sea ice extent in November, with scientists astonished to see Arctic ice actually retreating at a time when the region enters the cold darkness of winter. Related: The fate of Arctic sea ice – Science Weekly podcast Continue reading... |
| China asks US to block Taiwan president trip after talk of Donald Trump meeting Posted: 06 Dec 2016 06:29 PM PST Claims emerge lobbyist Bob Dole spent six months setting up controversial phone call between US president-elect and Tsai Ing-wen China has urged Washington to deny Taiwan's president entry to the United States as Donald Trump's protocol-shredding conversation with Tsai Ing-wen continued to create frictions between the world's two largest economies. Tsai, who was elected Taiwan's first female leader in January, is expected to fly through the US next month en route to a three-country tour of Central America with stops in Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. Continue reading... |
| Thousands pay tribute to Jayalalithaa Jayaram in Chennai Posted: 06 Dec 2016 11:40 AM PST State funeral held for popular actor turned chief minister for Tamil Nadu who died in hospital on Monday Tens of thousands of people have thronged the Chennai seafront to farewell the Tamil Nadu chief minister many simply called "Amma", or mother, in a lavish state funeral. Jayalalithaa Jayaram, a four-time leader of the south Indian state, was interred on Tuesday at a beachside shrine beside her mentor, MG Ramachandran, whose path she followed from showbusiness into politics in the early 1980s. Continue reading... |
| Earth's day lengthens by two milliseconds a century, astronomers find Posted: 06 Dec 2016 04:01 PM PST The gradual slowing of the planet's rotation is causing our day to lengthen, a comparison of nearly 3,000 years of celestial records has revealed There may never be enough hours in the day to get everything done, but at least the forces of nature are conspiring to help out. Astronomers who compiled nearly 3,000 years of celestial records have found that with every passing century, the day on Earth lengthens by two milliseconds as the planet's rotation gradually winds down. |
| Trump: Boeing should lose Air Force One contract over 'out of control' cost Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:04 AM PST Boeing share price briefly plummets after president-elect claims project is costing $4bn: 'I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number' Donald Trump has called for Boeing to lose its contract to build Air Force One, the president's private airplane, citing what he claimed was a $4bn price tag. "Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!" the president-elect wrote on Twitter. Continue reading... |
| Net earnings: top YouTubers' income rises 23% in past year Posted: 06 Dec 2016 12:29 PM PST Ranking of 12 highest-earning YouTube stars by Forbes shows they are increasingly monetising their popularity on platform Their talents range from comedy to gaming and from singing to playing pranks, often captured with nothing more than a handheld camera. But YouTubers are at the vanguard of an industry worth tens of millions of pounds. Forbes' ranking of the 12 highest-earning YouTube stars shows they collectively earned £55m in the past 12 months, an increase of 23% on last year. |
| FBI's credibility 'deeply damaged' by leaks during election, congressman says Posted: 06 Dec 2016 01:50 PM PST Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said it would be hard to repair the FBI's credibility under a Trump administration The top Democrat on the House intelligence committee said on Tuesday that the FBI had been "deeply damaged" by its conduct during the presidential election and would find it hard to repair its credibility under a Trump administration. Adam Schiff said that FBI leaks about the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server – and the announcement by the FBI director, James Comey, 11 days before the vote, that new emails had been found – "were highly problematic, to put it in the most diplomatic of terms". Continue reading... |
| Angela Merkel endorses party's call for partial ban on burqa and niqab Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:08 AM PST German chancellor tells CDU conference 'full facial veil is inappropriate and should be banned wherever it is legally possible' Angela Merkel has for the first time endorsed her party's call for a partial ban on the burqa and the niqab in Germany, telling delegates at the Christian Democratic Union's conference in Essen "the full facial veil is inappropriate and should be banned wherever it is legally possible". The German chancellor's CDU party is expected this week to pass a motion proposing a ban on the full-face veil in some areas of public life such as courts, schools and universities, as well as in road traffic and during police checks. A full ban, as introduced in France in 2011, is seen as incompatible with Germany's basic laws. Continue reading... |
| Paris hopes to raise €100,000 for refugees with love locks sale Posted: 06 Dec 2016 07:58 AM PST The 65 tonnes of love locks removed from Paris's bridges in the last 18 months are to be sold – and could raise €100,000 for refugee groups For the past two years, Paris has committed itself to taking on the love lock trend, in which couples, particularly tourists, attach padlocks to the city's bridges as a symbol of their love. And since the authorities made the decision to start removing them 18 months ago – cutting down an incredible one million padlocks in the process – it has been left with 65 tonnes of scrap metal to deal with. Continue reading... |
| Milo Yiannopoulos's university speaking events cancelled over security concerns Posted: 06 Dec 2016 11:23 AM PST Two colleges in North Dakota and Iowa withdrew invitations to the Breitbart editor, known for his controversial politics and association with the US far right Senior Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos has had two speaking engagements cancelled over security concerns. Yiannopoulos, a leading figure of the controversial "alt-right", an American far-right movement, was due to appear at North Dakota State University and Iowa State University in December, as part of his "Dangerous Faggot Tour". Continue reading... |
| South Korean president Park Geun-hye defies calls to quit Posted: 06 Dec 2016 12:00 PM PST Park says she will accept result of Friday's impeachment vote but would leave it to constitutional court to decide on its validity South Korea's embattled leader, Park Geun-hye, will respond "calmly" to the outcome of an impeachment motion later this week, political allies have said as she again defied calls to step down immediately over a corruption and cronyism scandal that has brought her presidency to the brink of collapse. Park, who became the country's first female president in late 2012, appears to be attempting to dictate the terms of her now inevitable exit as she braces for Friday's impeachment vote in parliament. Continue reading... |
| Air traffic controller who had revealed cause of Colombia crash flees to Brazil Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:24 AM PST Celia Castedo, who may have illegally bypassed Bolivian migration controls to seek asylum, is being sought in investigation of plane crash that killed 71 people The airplane crash that decimated the Chapecoense football team has threatened to stir up a diplomatic storm after the Bolivian air traffic controller who revealed irregularities about the flight requested asylum in Brazil. Related: 'What he did was mass murder': little sympathy for Colombia plane crash pilot Continue reading... |
| Rouhani: we won't let Trump tear up US–Iran nuclear deal Posted: 06 Dec 2016 06:47 AM PST Iranian president says 10-year extension of US sanctions could be violation of the accord signed in July 2015 The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, has said his country will not allow Donald Trump to tear up the landmark nuclear agreement with the west as he warned that an extension of sanctions, which passed Congress last week, could be a violation of the deal. Trump's victory in the US presidential elections has raised questions about whether the landmark nuclear accord, signed in July 2015, has a future. Its fate could affect Rouhani's chances of re-election in May. Continue reading... |
| UK will have less than 18 months to reach deal, says EU Brexit broker Posted: 06 Dec 2016 05:05 AM PST Michel Barnier says 'transitional agreement' is possible, but article 50 deal will have to be negotiated by October 2018 Britain will have less than 18 months to negotiate Brexit and must end up with a worse deal than it currently has as an EU member, the bloc's chief negotiator has said. In remarks that seemed to surprise London, Michel Barnier said the EU would need time to define its stance at the start of the two-year exit process, and the European parliament, EU-27 and UK government several months to ratify it at the end. Continue reading... |
| Oakland fire: warehouse manager 'incredibly sorry' for blaze that killed 36 Posted: 06 Dec 2016 12:02 PM PST In emotional TV interview, Derek Almena said he opened space to low-income artists who 'can't pay rent because your dream is bigger than your pocketbook' The manager of an Oakland warehouse that was destroyed in a devastating fire last week has said he is "incredibly sorry" for the blaze, which erupted during a party and killed at least 36 people. Related: Oakland warehouse fire: charges possible as death toll rises to 36 Continue reading... |
| May says she will reveal Brexit plan before triggering article 50 Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:13 AM PST Government accepts Labour motion to publish plan for leaving EU but calls on MPs to vote for process to begin by late March Theresa May has caved in to pressure to publish a plan for Brexit by the end of March, but laid down a challenge to MPs to vote in favour of triggering article 50. Labour and rebel Tory MPs declared victory after No 10 accepted an opposition motion calling on the prime minister to reveal the government's Brexit aims before starting the formal process of leaving the EU. Continue reading... |
| King Bibi for a day: golden Netanyahu statue is toppled Posted: 06 Dec 2016 03:25 AM PST Tel Aviv residents queue for selfies with work condemned as 'expression of hatred', then accept invitation to knock it down The nickname King Bibi for Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long been in circulation. It refers to his reputed imperial tendencies, his political gifts and his taste for fine living. Now the conceit has been given a new currency via the sudden – if brief – appearance of a large golden statue of Netanyahu in Tel Aviv's most famous square, satirising the prime minister's years in office and the allegations of scandal that have surrounded the management of his household. Continue reading... |
| Matteo Renzi already plotting his return to Palazzo Chigi Posted: 06 Dec 2016 07:40 AM PST PM is quitting after referendum defeat but is said to want to stay on as party leader and contest a general election in February He has not even left yet, his resignation after a bruising defeat at the hands of the Italian electorate having been put on ice by the country's president. But Matteo Renzi is already plotting his return to the prime minister's office, according to Italian media reports, and has signalled his desire for elections to be called as soon as February, despite his humiliating loss at the polls just days ago. Continue reading... |
| Chile can seek extradition of agents wanted in 1976 US attack, court rules Posted: 06 Dec 2016 08:13 AM PST Chilean supreme court reaches unanimous decision on two former secret police agents wanted in a car bombing in Washington that killed two people Chile's supreme court has ruled that the government can file an extradition request to the United States for two former secret police agents wanted for a 1976 car bombing in Washington that killed a former Chilean ambassador and a US citizen. Continue reading... |
| Fidel Castro worked on Gabriel García Márquez's manuscripts Posted: 06 Dec 2016 08:01 AM PST The Nobel laureate sent the Cuban dictator all of his books and received his factual and grammatical notes before submitting them to his publisher Feted as a revolutionary hero and demonised as an enemy of the free world, Fidel Castro also played an unexpected role in global literature. The Cuban president, who died on 25 November, acted as unofficial copy editor for the acclaimed novelist Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez, providing line-by-line corrections for the writer after the two struck up a close friendship in the late 1970s. Dr Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla, lecturer in Latin American studies at Aston University, told the Guardian: "The president was an avid reader. When they met in 1977, they had several conversations about literature and eventually Fidel offered to read his manuscripts, because he had a good eye for detail." Continue reading... |
| Bird flu hits French foie gras industry at busiest time of year Posted: 06 Dec 2016 08:11 AM PST Thousands of birds slaughtered and export ban extended as France is put on high alert following outbreak in south-west French foie gras producers have been forced to slaughter thousands of birds being prepared for the lucrative Christmas market to prevent the spread of a virulent strain of bird flu. The agriculture ministry raised the risk level of the virus spreading from moderate to high on Tuesday across the country, at a crucial time for the industry. Continue reading... |
| Saudi Arabia sentences 15 people to death for spying for Iran Posted: 06 Dec 2016 03:07 AM PST Trial comes at time of growing tensions with rival power Iran over influence in the Middle East A Saudi court has sentenced 15 people to death for spying for Iran, Saudi-owned media has reported, in a ruling that could further stoke tension between the two rival powers. The specialised criminal court in Riyadh sentenced 15 other suspects to prison terms ranging from six months to 25 years, and acquitted two, the Arabic-language al-Riyadh newspaper reported. Continue reading... |
| Tunisia urges UK tourists to return 18 months after Sousse beach attack Posted: 06 Dec 2016 05:34 AM PST Interior minister says country hit by 2015 shooting attack is no more threatened by terrorism than any major European city Tunisia's interior minister has urged British tourists to return to the country as he expressed hopes the UK will review its travel advice, saying it is no more threatened by terrorism than any major European city. The Foreign Office warned against all but essential travel to the country following a June 2015 attack in the resort of Sousse in which 30 British tourists and eight others were killed by a gunman with links to Islamic State. Continue reading... |
| China's terracotta warriors to return to UK for first time in nearly a decade Posted: 07 Dec 2016 01:00 AM PST Ancient Chinese treasures from first emperor's tomb will be among 120 objects to go on display at Liverpool's World Museum in 2018 China's terracotta warriors are to return to the UK almost a decade after they thrilled visitors in a landmark exhibition at the British Museum. Karen Bradley, the culture secretary, announced that Liverpool's World Museum would be the next destination for the spectacular treasures which China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, had made to accompany him into the afterlife. Continue reading... |
| Madonna on the US election: ‘It feels like women betrayed us’ Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:36 AM PST 'Women hate women. That's what I think,' says pop star crowned Billboard's woman of the year – and once photographed in Trump's bed Madonna has described her feelings of "heartbreak" and "betrayal" in the wake of Donald Trump's US election win, claiming: "It feels like women betrayed us." During her interview with Billboard, which has crowned her Woman of the Year, the pop star compared her despair regarding the results – particularly the significant number of women who voted for Trump – to mourning. Continue reading... |
| Syrian troops in control of Aleppo's Old City after rebels withdraw Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:32 AM PST Army now holds all areas east of historic citadel three weeks into operation to recapture city after rebels pull out overnight Syrian government forces control all of Aleppo's historic Old City after rebel fighters withdrew in the face of army advances overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said. The army and allied forces hold more than 75% of east Aleppo, a rebel bastion since 2012, three weeks into their operation to capture all of the country's second city. Continue reading... |
| No sleep for Congolese mothers trying to save their girls from rape Posted: 06 Dec 2016 11:00 PM PST Officially, sexual violence has declined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dubbed the 'rape capital of the world'. But frontline workers tell a different story The mothers of Kavumu hardly sleep. But on rainy nights, they don't even try. The rain pounds on their tin roofs so noisily that they worry they won't hear rapists breaking in to steal their daughters. So they sit up all night, just watching their front doors. Since 2013, 49 young children, one only 18 months old, have been abducted from flimsy houses in this town in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo – and raped. The alleged ringleader of the militia responsible, an MP, was arrested earlier this year, but it is common knowledge in Kavumu that many of their daughters' "destroyers", as they call them, are still at large. Continue reading... |
| MPs debate call for government to publish its Brexit plan - Politics live Posted: 07 Dec 2016 01:32 AM PST Rolling coverage of all the day's political developments as they happen, including PMQs and the Commons debate on a motion saying the government should publish a plan for Brexit
Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, has challenged the Scottish government to "put more meat on the bones" of its proposals to secure a separate Brexit deal from the rest of the UK. Speaking to journalists in Edinburgh at the end of a two-day visit to Scotland, the shadow Brexit secretary said: It's difficult to see how having any part of the UK in the single market and another part out would work in practice. That reinforces that there has to be a UK approach [to negotiations] from the start. Those that are advocating a different set of arrangements have to put more meat on the bones as to how it would work in practice. We want a top level answer on the single market that applies across the UK and therefore there is not question of any separate arrangement for Scotland or anywhere else.
What would a "plan for leaving the EU" look like? MPs will today debate a Labour motion calling for one and the government has accepted it. That means there is no prospect of a revolt when the debate ends at 7pm. But, as usual, the debate will reveal something about what MPs think about Brexit. For example, how many MPs, especially Tories, are determined to keep the UK in the single market? What are Labour's red lines? How many MPs back the Lib Dem call for a second referendum? We may even learn something new about the government's thinking on Brexit, although the chances are probably slim. At times ministers seem more willing to discuss the location of our at-sea Trident submarines than their Brexit negotiating strategy. But David Davis, the Brexit secretary, who will be speaking at the start of the debate for the government, will have to say something about what this "plan" might look like. Opposition MPs want a proper, substantial document, like a white paper. The government is hoping to publish with the bare minimum, and if it thought it could get away with a few lines on a post-it note, it would. What is not widely understood is that the prime minister believes that probably the worst mistake ever made by her predecessor Cameron was to write to the president of the EU Donald Tusk setting out what he wanted from his own negotiations with the EU - which were supposed to provide us all with a good reason to remain in the EU. By doing so, DC showed both the poverty of his ambition in respect of his negotiating aims and set himself up to be knocked back by other EU government heads. Continue reading... |
| 'We are still in mourning': Charleston congregants prepare for Dylann Roof trial Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST At the Mother Emanuel AME church, where a mass shooting last year killed nine black worshippers, the mood is sombre as opening arguments begin The procession moved slowly along the aisles, singing a capella as it shuffled towards the altar. The choir, dressed in maroon and black robes, were followed by the ushers with their red bow ties and white gloves. At the rear were the ministers dressed in white and gold. Sunday communion at the Mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston had begun in a sombre mood. Continue reading... |
| Colombia plane crash: airline chief arrested over Chapecoense disaster Posted: 06 Dec 2016 07:14 PM PST Bolivian authorities take LaMia CEO Gustavo Vargas and two other employees into custody as part of investigation that 'could easily turn into manslaughter' Bolivian prosecutors have detained the chief executive of LaMia, the airline whose plane crashed in Colombia killing nearly all of Brazil's Chapacoense football team. Gustavo Vargas, the chief executive, and two other employees of the tiny Bolivia-based charter airline were taken to a prosecutor's office in Santa Cruz for up to eight hours of questioning on Tuesday before prosecutors were to decide if they should be held in jail. |
| Five-year-old boy hit by lightning after touching tap during Gold Coast storm Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:53 AM PST Boy taken to hospital in a stable condition suffering burns after another day of lightning storms across Queensland A young boy has been taken to hospital and several people in a unit block have been assessed by paramedics after separate lightning strikes on homes on the Gold Coast. The five-year-old suffered burns to his hands and back around 4.45pm on Wednesday at a house at Tallai, said Gavin Fuller from Queensland Ambulance. Continue reading... |
| Bird flu warning: keepers told to keep poultry inside Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:34 AM PST Government chief vet declares 'prevention zone' for England as highly infectious strain of avian flu hits Europe All bird keepers, from poultry farmers to families with a few chickens, have been ordered to house their animals for a month to protect the UK from a virulent outbreak of avian flu on mainland Europe. The government chief vet, Nigel Gibbens, has declared a "prevention zone" for England that requires commercial and individual bird keepers to keep their birds inside for 30 days or take steps to separate them from wild birds. Continue reading... |
| British Antarctic research station to be moved due to deep crack in the ice Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:41 PM PST Dormant chasm has opened up and risks cutting the station off from the rest of the ice shelf Britain is preparing to move its research station in the Antarctic 23km further inland because it is under threat from a growing crack in the ice. The British Antarctic Survey's Halley VI research station has recorded data relevant to space weather, climate change, and atmospheric phenomena from its site on the Brunt Ice Shelf shelf since 2012. Continue reading... |
| Remembrance of tastes past: Syria’s disappearing food culture | Wendell Steavenson Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:00 PM PST For Syrians in exile, food is more than a means of sustenance. It is a reminder of the rich and diverse culture being destroyed by civil war In February 2013, Ebtisam Masto fled Syria with her six children. They crossed the border to Lebanon and headed for the capital, Beirut, where Masto's husband, Mohammed, had been working to support his family since before the civil war began. When they arrived, Masto registered the family with the UN refugee agency in the city. There she heard about a cooking programme for women that was run by the Catholic charity Caritas. Masto, who was scared, insecure and on the verge of clinical depression, signed up. "I wanted to do something with my life," she told me. Continue reading... |
| Thailand opens investigation into BBC for alleged insult of new king Posted: 06 Dec 2016 09:02 PM PST Police visit BBC's Bangkok office, taking staff's Yakult milk drink, after profile detailing King Maha Vajiralongkorn's personal life is blocked online Thailand has opened an investigation into the BBC's local language service for alleged defamation and blocked access to an online profile of the country's new king, less than a week after he succeeded to the throne. The biography was published on Friday by BBC Thai a day after King Maha Vajiralongkorn accepted the title following the death of his father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, on 13 October. Continue reading... |
| Despite climate change exodus, some Marshall Islanders head back home Posted: 06 Dec 2016 06:45 PM PST After many young people fled in the face of worsening droughts, tropical storms, coral bleaching, coastal inundation and flooding, some are choosing to return Surrounded by 750,000 square miles of ocean, the low-lying Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is emblematic of the threat climate change poses to small island nations. This Micronesian country of coral atolls faces worsening droughts, tropical storms, coral bleaching, coastal inundation and flooding – all exacerbated by rising temperatures and sea levels. Related: Lives in the balance: climate change and the Marshall Islands Continue reading... |
| Thousands bid farewell to Jayalalithaa Jayaram at state funeral – video Posted: 06 Dec 2016 01:40 PM PST Tens of thousands of people throng the Chennai seafront to pay tribute to the Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram, in a lavish state funeral on Tuesday. Jayalalithaa, a former film actor and popular politician, died in hospital on Monday after a cardiac arrest Continue reading... |
| Sara Connor looked ‘messy’ and ‘pale’, Bali murder trial told Posted: 06 Dec 2016 12:08 PM PST Motorbike rental shop owner says he gave the Australian woman water – 'She held her stomach like she had a stomach ache' Sara Connor looked "messy" and "pale" and was clutching her stomach two days after the bloodied body of a Bali police officer was discovered on Kuta beach, the Australian woman's trial has heard. A motorbike rental shop owner, Nengah Astika, said he had arrived at his office in Jimbaran, near Kuta, about noon on 19 August to find Connor and her British boyfriend, David Taylor, already there. He said Taylor had dried wounds to his arm, knee and finger. Continue reading... |
| The battle for eastern Aleppo in maps: how rebel territory is shrinking Posted: 06 Dec 2016 11:52 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... |
| British thinktank received £25m from Bahraini royals, documents reveal Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:41 AM PST International Institute for Strategic Studies received cash over five years, partly to pay for Gulf conference at which Boris Johnson is due to speak A British thinktank that bills itself as a global authority on military and diplomatic affairs has been accused of jeopardising its independence after leaked documents showed it has secretly received £25m from the Bahraini royal family, which has been criticised for its poor human rights record. Confidential documents seen by the Guardian show that the country's repressive rulers donated the sum to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) over the last five years. Continue reading... |
| Golden ‘King Bibi’ Netanhayu statue is knocked down – video Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:12 AM PST A gilded statue of Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is toppled after appearing in Rabin Square on Tuesday. Tel Aviv residents queued for selfies but Netanyahu's ministers denounced the guerrilla art installation. Sculptor Itay Zalait, the work's creator, wanted to test the limits of freedom of expression in Israel Continue reading... |
| Angela Merkel: burqa has no place in Germany – video Posted: 06 Dec 2016 09:29 AM PST German chancellor Angela Merkel tells delegates at the Christian Democratic Union's conference in Essen on Tuesday that a 'full facial veil is inappropriate' and should be banned. It is the first time she has endorsed her party's call for a partial ban on burqa and niqab Continue reading... |
| Israel refuses visa to theologian over boycott and divestment activism Posted: 06 Dec 2016 07:40 AM PST Isabel Phiri is first foreigner denied entry because of alleged involvement with Palestinian-led BDS movement Israel has denied entry to a prominent theologian and academic for her alleged activism in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement – the first time officials say a foreign national has been refused entry for that reason. Isabel Phiri, who is an assistant general secretary with the World Council of Churches in Geneva, was refused a visa at Israel's Ben Gurion airport on Monday afternoon. Continue reading... |
| Church of England to close Surrey care home owing to lack of staff Posted: 06 Dec 2016 05:50 AM PST Decision will leave 30 residents, many with dementia, of Manormead care home near Hindhead needing somewhere else to live A care home for retired priests is being closed by the Church of England because it cannot recruit and retain staff, leaving 30 residents, many of whom have dementia, in need of new accommodation. The C of E pensions board announced that Manormead care home near Hindhead, Surrey, will shut at the end of March, describing it as a "heartbreaking decision". |
| Tributes paid to Rebecca Johnson, British tour guide killed in Lapland Posted: 06 Dec 2016 05:45 AM PST Family expresses devastation as police prepare to charge boyfriend with murder of 26-year-old from Burntisland, Fife A British tour guide who was stabbed to death in Lapland has been described as a "beautiful girl" by family. The 26-year-old from Burntisland, Fife, who has been named locally as Rebecca Johnson, was discovered in the village of Kuttanen, by Enontekio, Finland, on Saturday. Continue reading... |
| 'This was a protest vote': Sicilian city where 75% said no to Matteo Renzi Posted: 06 Dec 2016 05:30 AM PST In Catania, referendum voters vented their venom against Italy's political old guard and the dire state of their island's economy Even tomatoes – the protest food of choice among many Italian militants – were banned when Matteo Renzi came to Villa Bellini, a park in the Sicilian city of Catania, in September to wrap up the festa dell'unità , a social democratic event that is celebrated each year across Italy. But being pelted by the soft fruit was the least of his worries: festivities descended into chaos when protesters, gathered in a square nearby with banners reading "Throw Renzi Out", hurled beer bottles and smoke bombs as he spoke about the merits of his proposals to overhaul the constitution. Continue reading... |
| Ex-child soldier Dominic Ongwen denies war crimes at ICC trial Posted: 06 Dec 2016 05:16 AM PST Former LRA commander commences trial at The Hague saying he was a victim not a perpetrator of atrocities in Uganda A former militia leader from northern Uganda has denied committing war crimes including rape and murder, on the opening day of his trial at the international criminal court at The Hague, saying that as a child soldier taken by force from his home by the organisation he was a victim of its atrocities, not a perpetrator. Dominic Ongwen, once a feared commander of the Lord's Resistance Army, told judges in a dramatic outburst that he was "one of the people against whom the LRA committed atrocities". He said: "In the name of God, I deny all these charges." Continue reading... |
| Jayalalithaa Jayaram's funeral – in pictures Posted: 06 Dec 2016 04:51 AM PST Thousands of people gather to mourn the death of one of India's most popular politicians, the 'iron lady' of Tamil Nadu Continue reading... |
| Loving country you live in part of Muslim faith, says Ahmadi leader Posted: 06 Dec 2016 04:02 AM PST Caliph says most UK Muslims well integrated into British society after Casey report cited 'worrying levels' of segregation True Islam means loyalty to the country in which one lives, abiding by its laws and serving its people and communities, the spiritual leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim movement has said. The majority of Muslims in the UK were well integrated into British society, said the caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, and most "follow the commandment of the holy prophet, which says love of your country is part of your faith". |
| Singapore's 'silver tsunami': how the city-state depends on its elderly workforce Posted: 06 Dec 2016 04:19 AM PST In Singapore, where life expectancy is soaring, the elderly are encouraged to exchange retirement for arduous jobs that often pay badly – yet many of its citizens, including Wong Kuan Ying, are only too keen to oblige At first glance, Wong Kuan Ying looks like a typical Singaporean boss, with her smart, full-length trousers and impeccable posture, even at the end of a nine-hour shift. Her colleagues in Singapore's West Coast Market Square food court are dressed more casually, in shorts and T-shirts. Some of them look past the working age: you avert your eyes from their tired knees; they avert their eyes when you thank them. Kuan Ying tells me she is 72 but she doesn't look it. Each day when she gets home, however, she has to unscrew her right leg from below the knee. Acute diabetes has left her missing the lower part of one leg, and all the toes from her other foot. Continue reading... |
| How to end gender violence? Give money to visionary local groups | Jessica Neuwirth Posted: 06 Dec 2016 03:39 AM PST The 16-day campaign against gender violence is a chance to review financial support for women's rights groups and steer funds to those with direct impact This year's 16 days of activism against gender-based violence is yet another opportunity to focus on this urgent issue. The theme for 2016 is raising money to end violence against women and girls, and it's critical. Recent years have seen some progress towards promoting and protecting the rights of girls – particularly in reducing maternal mortality and improving girls' education – as well as significantly increasing awareness of gender-based violence. However, the low level of sustainable funding continues to be a huge obstacle to achieving further progress. In a new report on funding to women's rights organisations in the the global south, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that while $10bn (£7.8bn) had been provided to civil society organisations working to ensure gender equality in 2014, only 8% of such aid had gone to groups in developing countries. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Five west African countries ban 'dirty diesel' from Europe Posted: 06 Dec 2016 03:02 AM PST Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast to block imports from oil companies and traders of diesel with sulphur levels many times European limit Five west African countries have announced measures to end the practice of European oil companies and traders exporting "African quality" diesel – highly polluting fuels that could never be sold in Europe. Swiss commodity traders were accused in a report published in September by Swiss NGO Public Eye of exporting fuels to west Africa with sulphur levels that are sometimes hundreds of times higher than European levels. Continue reading... |
| US will stop racing to topple foreign regimes, says Donald Trump – video Posted: 06 Dec 2016 11:36 PM PST President-elect Donald Trump speaks in Fayetteville, near the Fort Bragg military base, on Tuesday. The president-elect outlines his military policy for the US while also vowing to build friendships. Trump said he would follow a non-interventionist approach, which would not seek out foreign conflicts, but concentrate on removing Isis in Syria and Iraq Continue reading... |
| Barack Obama defends his anti-terror strategy – video Posted: 06 Dec 2016 07:33 PM PST The outgoing US president defends his administration's record on fighting terrorism in remarks that appear to be aimed at Donald Trump. 'These terrorists can never directly destroy our way of life,' he says. 'But we can do it for them if we lose track of who we are and the values that this nation is founded upon' Continue reading... |
| Joe Biden continues to hint at 2020 presidential run – video Posted: 06 Dec 2016 10:55 AM PST Vice-President Joe Biden gave no further clarity on Tuesday about whether he would be running for president in 2020. Biden set off a wave of rumors on Monday after telling journalists about plans to run in four years. Asked on Tuesday, he continued to toy with the subject. 'I'm announcing. I'm going to announce right now,' he said on his way into a meeting with House Democrats Continue reading... |
| Cost of Air Force One order 'totally out of control', says Trump – video Posted: 06 Dec 2016 09:05 AM PST Donald Trump urged the government to cancel Boeing's new Air Force One plane on Tuesday, saying the project was too expensive. 'The plane is totally out of control, it's going to be over $4bn ... I think it's ridiculous. I think Boeing's is doing a little bit of a number,' the president-elect told reporters in the lobby of his Trump Tower Continue reading... |
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