World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Donald Trump's truce with spy agencies breaks down over Russia dossier
- UK, Greece and Turkey to join Cyprus peace talks in Geneva
- Man's best friend, bacteria's worst enemy: dog sniffs out superbug in Canada hospital
- Hong Kong human rights situation 'worst since handover to China'
- Russian yoga fans alarmed at arrest of teacher under new law
- 'No access': Rex Tillerson sets collision course with Beijing in South China Sea
- New fertility procedure may lead to 'embryo farming', warn researchers
- Six Volkswagen executives charged with fraud over emissions cheating
- Chelsea Manning on Obama's 'shortlist' to commute prison sentence – report
- Kidnapped professors beg Trump to negotiate release in Taliban video
- Cyprus's Greek and Turkish leaders edge closer to ending conflict
- Philippines rejects Dora the Explorer underwater theme park
- Nazi doctor Josef Mengele's bones used in Brazil forensic medicine courses
- Polish minister mocked over meeting with fictional nation of San Escobar
- Facebook unveils measures to promote stronger ties with news industry
- World's largest peatland with vast carbon-storage capacity found in Congo
- Amazon removes Indian flag doormat after minister threatens visa ban
- Monica Crowley accused of plagiarism as she joins Trump team
- Xi Jinping to become the first Chinese president to attend WEF in Davos
- Media and intelligence agencies attacked by Trump over Russia claims
- Jacob Zuma says South Africa's ruling ANC is ready for female leader
- Eyewitness: President's farewell
- 'My neighbour murdered nearly all of my family, but now we are friends'
- Think reporting on Trump is hard? Try being a journalist in Donetsk
- Chris Grayling gives go-ahead to road tunnel under Stonehenge
- Charity helping Yazidi survivors of Isis sexual slavery shut down
- Rodney Culleton insists he's a senator: I've still got the badge and the office
- The Briton vying to become the world's most powerful doctor
- Almost 75% of Japan's biggest coral reef has died from bleaching, says report
- The creeping rise of authoritarianism and the risk to media around the world – Project podcast
- Quokka escapes Rottnest Island on garbage barge, sparking fears for survival
- 'Against our dignity': Mexico vows never to pay for Trump's wall
- Avalanche comes through man's front door
- Insurers call for action after rise in hit-and-run incidents on UK roads
- 'Specific' terror evidence not necessary for RAF drone strikes
- Tennessee woman jailed for attempting abortion accepts plea deal for release
- Tigger Stack obituary
- World Bank downgrades India's growth forecast after demonetisation
- Eyewitness: Bagan, Myanmar
- Fear and loathing in Nicosia: will peace talks unify Europe's last divided capital?
- The Forbidden City: inside the abandoned Soviet camp of Wünsdorf
- Nigerian state governor accuses aid agencies of profiting from Borno crisis
- UK aid watchdog encourages direct cash support for people in poor countries
- UK moves a step closer to dramatic rise in aid funding to private sector
- Will Trump’s business plans avoid presidential conflicts of interest?
- Rex Tillerson: I would block China's access to islands in South China Sea – video
- Rex Tillerson: 'Russia must be held to account for its actions' – video
- BuzzFeed branded 'garbage' by Trump, who then attacks CNN – video
- Trump attacks media and intelligence community in press conference – video
- Death penalty for Dylann Roof a ‘hollow victory’, says victim’s brother – video
| Donald Trump's truce with spy agencies breaks down over Russia dossier Posted: 12 Jan 2017 02:16 AM PST Shift from measured tone to 'hysterical hostility' at press conference could destroy relationship with agencies Trump likened to Nazi Germany, experts say A shaky detente between Donald Trump and the intelligence agencies he will soon control has broken down, as Trump wrongly accused US intelligence of leaking an unverified, salacious document to damage his nascent presidency. Related: Trump press conference: 'sick people' leaked 'fake news' Russia dossier – live Continue reading... |
| UK, Greece and Turkey to join Cyprus peace talks in Geneva Posted: 12 Jan 2017 12:10 AM PST British foreign secretary Boris Johnson flies out for landmark conference that aims to reach 'moment of truth' for divided island Politicians including Britain's foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, are due to arrive in Geneva on Thursday for a landmark conference at which the UK, Greece and Turkey – Cyprus's three postcolonial guarantor powers – will join talks aimed at bringing peace to the island. Britain believes the chances of a framework agreement of substance have increased now that the Turkish prime minister, Binali Yıldırım, has agreed to attend. Turkey has always said they would only be represented at such a senior level at the conference if there was serious progress. Continue reading... |
| Man's best friend, bacteria's worst enemy: dog sniffs out superbug in Canada hospital Posted: 12 Jan 2017 01:00 AM PST Angus the English springer spaniel is believed to be only canine hospital employee in the world trained to sniff out notorious bacteria Clostridium difficile Hospital ID badge dangling from his neck, Angus considered the empty bed in front of him. After a few strong sniffs, he moved on. Nearing the next bed, his floppy ears perked up before he stopped dead in his tracks, tapping his paw and eyeing his handler expectantly. Continue reading... |
| Hong Kong human rights situation 'worst since handover to China' Posted: 12 Jan 2017 01:56 AM PST Amnesty International report says rule of law, freedom of speech and trust in government all deteriorated in 2016 Hong Kong's human rights situation is at its worst since Britain handed the territory to China, Amnesty International said in a new report, after a string of incidents damaged the city's reputation in the past year. Rule of law, freedom of speech and trust in government all deteriorated in 2016, Amnesty said, in a strong rebuke of the former British colony. Continue reading... |
| Russian yoga fans alarmed at arrest of teacher under new law Posted: 12 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST Yogi accused of illegal missionary activity after giving philosophy talk at festival amid clampdown on 'non-traditional' religion A yoga teacher in Russia has been charged with illegal missionary activity under a controversial new law designed to fight terrorism. Computer programmer Dmitry Ugay was detained by police in St Petersburg in October while giving a talk at a festival about the philosophy behind yoga. Continue reading... |
| 'No access': Rex Tillerson sets collision course with Beijing in South China Sea Posted: 11 Jan 2017 09:20 PM PST Comments that China should be barred from using artificial islands will anger Xi Jinping and could lead to a military clash, experts fear Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, has set the stage for a potential clash with China, saying it should be barred from artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea. Tillerson said China's control and construction of artificial islands in waters claimed by neighbouring countries was "akin to Russia's taking of Crimea". Continue reading... |
| New fertility procedure may lead to 'embryo farming', warn researchers Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:00 AM PST Technique could also lead parents to create 'ideal' future children only –possible impact on society must be planned for now, say specialists A new lab procedure that could allow fertility clinics to make sperm and eggs from people's skin may lead to "embryo farming" on a massive scale and drive parents to have only "ideal" future children, researchers warn. Legal and medical specialists in the US say that while the procedure – known as in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) – has only been demonstrated in mice so far, the field is progressing so fast that the dramatic impact it could have on society must be planned for now. Continue reading... |
| Six Volkswagen executives charged with fraud over emissions cheating Posted: 11 Jan 2017 01:42 PM PST VW ordered by US government to pay $4.3bn penalty, with carmaker's former staff accused of running near decade-long conspiracy Six former Volkswagen executives are being charged over their alleged roles in the 2015 emissions scandal, as the company admits liability and is ordered to pay a record $4.3bn (£3.5bn) penalty, US officials have said. The men are accused of running a near decade-long conspiracy during their time at the firm and are being charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, violations of the Clean Air Act, and wire fraud, the US attorney general Loretta Lynch said on Wednesday. Continue reading... |
| Chelsea Manning on Obama's 'shortlist' to commute prison sentence – report Posted: 11 Jan 2017 07:44 AM PST The army whistleblower, who has been incarcerated for six years, had asked the president for clemency in the final days of his presidential term Chelsea Manning, the army soldier who leaked state secrets in 2010 and has been imprisoned longer than any other official leaker in US history, has called on President Obama to show her clemency in the final days of his presidency, saying that this amounts to her last chance for freedom "for a very long time". Related: Chelsea Manning makes appeal for release before Trump takes office Continue reading... |
| Kidnapped professors beg Trump to negotiate release in Taliban video Posted: 11 Jan 2017 12:29 PM PST Video is first public sign since August kidnapping that US and Australian teachers Kevin King and Timothy John Weeks are alive An American and an Australian professor who were kidnapped in Kabul five months ago have pleaded with US president-elect Donald Trump to help secure their release in a video released by the Taliban. The video, uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday and apparently filmed on 1 January, is the first public sign of life of the two teachers since their abduction. |
| Cyprus's Greek and Turkish leaders edge closer to ending conflict Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:45 AM PST Talks to reunite island reaches critical juncture in Geneva as leaders tackle question of territorial realignment One of the west's most intractable disputes has edged closer to resolution with the leaders of Cyprus's Greek and Turkish communities discussing the critical issue of territorial realignment on the third day of peace talks in Geneva. As the latest push to reunite the island reached a critical juncture, Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akıncı moved to the make-or-break issue of territorial trade-offs in an envisioned two-state federation. Continue reading... |
| Philippines rejects Dora the Explorer underwater theme park Posted: 11 Jan 2017 10:03 AM PST Environment minister says she will not allow US TV network Nickelodeon to build park on pristine Palawan island The Philippine environment minister has said the US children's television network Nickelodeon will not be allowed to build an underwater theme park on one of the country's most pristine islands. Nickelodeon's parent firm announced on Monday it would build a themed attraction inspired by its cartoon characters such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants as part of a 400-hectare (1,000-acre) development on Palawan, generating alarm from environmentalists. Continue reading... |
| Nazi doctor Josef Mengele's bones used in Brazil forensic medicine courses Posted: 11 Jan 2017 08:42 AM PST Students in São Paulo are examining remains of man known for medical experiments on Jews at Auschwitz to uncover mysteries of his life on the run For more than 30 years, the bones of Josef Mengele, the German doctor who conducted horrific experiments on thousands of Jews at Auschwitz, lay unclaimed inside a blue plastic bag in São Paulo's Legal Medical Institute. Dr Daniel Romero Muñoz, who led the team that identified Mengele's remains in 1985, saw an opportunity to put them to use. Several months ago, the head of the department of legal medicine at the University of São Paulo's Medical School obtained permission to use them in his forensic medical courses. Today, his students are now learning their trade studying Mengele's bones and connecting them to the life story of the man called the "angel of death". Continue reading... |
| Polish minister mocked over meeting with fictional nation of San Escobar Posted: 11 Jan 2017 08:40 AM PST Witold Waszczykowski derided on Twitter after talk of lobbying non-existent country as part of bid for UN security council seat Poland's foreign minister has become the subject of online derision after he said he had met the representative of a non-existent country as part of Poland's campaign to get a non-permanent seat on the UN security council. Witold Waszczykowski was in New York to lobby for a seat on the council from 2018-19. On Tuesday, he told reporters he had held meetings with officials from nearly 20 countries, including some Caribbean nations "for the first time in the history of our diplomacy". He then gave examples of countries "such as Belize or San Escobar". The latter, as many people were quick to point out, does not exist. Continue reading... |
| Facebook unveils measures to promote stronger ties with news industry Posted: 11 Jan 2017 07:00 AM PST The Facebook Journalism Project comes after company accused of failing to tackle misinformation and at a time when newsrooms are cutting costs Facebook has unveiled measures to establish stronger ties between the social network and the news industry, allowing for collaboration on product development, new ways for publishers to make money, and training for newsrooms and readers. The announcement of the Facebook Journalism Project comes in the wake of heightened scrutiny of the social network's role as a distributor of news, which saw the company accused of failing to tackle the spread of misinformation in the run-up to the US presidential election. At the same time, Facebook and Google are taking the lion's share of online advertising revenue while newsrooms cut costs and make lay-offs. Continue reading... |
| World's largest peatland with vast carbon-storage capacity found in Congo Posted: 11 Jan 2017 10:00 AM PST Carbon-rich peatlands in remote Congo basin could store three years' worth of world's fossil fuel emissions, say scientists Scientists have discovered the world's largest tropical peatland in the remote Congo swamps, estimated to store the equivalent of three year's worth of the world's total fossil fuel emissions. Researchers mapped the Cuvette Centrale peatlands in the central Congo basin and found they cover 145,500 sq km – an area larger than England. The swamps could lock in 30bn tonnes of carbon that was previously not known to exist, making the region one of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on Earth. Continue reading... |
| Amazon removes Indian flag doormat after minister threatens visa ban Posted: 11 Jan 2017 09:20 AM PST External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said she would revoke visas for Amazon officials in India if 'insulting' products were not take down from Canada site Related: Indian court orders cinemas to play national anthem before films Amazon has been forced to remove a doormat depicting the Indian flag from its Canadian store after India's top diplomat threatened to expel all foreign employees of the online retailer if it did not withdraw the product. Continue reading... |
| Monica Crowley accused of plagiarism as she joins Trump team Posted: 11 Jan 2017 06:23 AM PST HarperCollins has cancelled sales of What the (Bleep) Just Happened by the incoming senior White House staffer, following accusations of extensive copying A book by a close ally of incoming US president Donald Trump has been withdrawn by publisher HarperCollins after accusations of plagiarism. Digital editions of Monica Crowley's What the (Bleep) Just Happened were pulled from sale overnight amid accusations that Trump's choice for a high-profile national security role had plagiarised large parts of her 2012 text. Continue reading... |
| Xi Jinping to become the first Chinese president to attend WEF in Davos Posted: 11 Jan 2017 09:05 AM PST President will lead delegation of business executives and is expected to speak out against Donald Trump's protectionist policies at the World Economic Forum Chinese leader Xi Jinping will lead an 80-strong delegation of business executives and billionaires to the annual gathering of the powerful and super-rich in Davos next week. Xi will be the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) and lead the country's biggest-ever delegation to the celebration of capitalism in the Swiss Alps as a statement of intent that China wants to assume a global leadership role as other world powers struggle with domestic tumult. Continue reading... |
| Media and intelligence agencies attacked by Trump over Russia claims Posted: 12 Jan 2017 02:22 AM PST At president-elect's first press conference since July, originally called to explain how he would avoid conflicts of interest, Trump called Russia dossier 'fake news' Donald Trump unleashed a firestorm of invective against "shameful" news outlets and the "disgraceful" behaviour of the intelligence agencies, in a feisty press conference as he attempted to demolish salacious allegations concerning his dealings in Russia. Related: The story of the Trump dossier: secret sources, an airport rendezvous, and John McCain Continue reading... |
| Jacob Zuma says South Africa's ruling ANC is ready for female leader Posted: 12 Jan 2017 02:18 AM PST President gives huge boost to leadership ambitions of his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma with comments about his party's succession South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, has said the ruling ANC party is ready for its first female leader, days after his former wife was named by the party's influential women's league as its choice to succeed him. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who has four children with President Zuma, is the head of the African Union Commission and a leading candidate to succeed her ex-husband after the 2019 general election. Continue reading... |
| Eyewitness: President's farewell Posted: 12 Jan 2017 01:59 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| 'My neighbour murdered nearly all of my family, but now we are friends' Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:30 PM PST Thanks to a pioneering reconciliation project survivors and perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide now live side by side In a leafy, quiet district less than an hour's drive from Rwanda's capital, the calmness of the community of Mbyo belies the dark and traumatic past of its inhabitants. Related: My journey back to Rwanda: confronting the ghosts of the genocide 21 years later Continue reading... |
| Think reporting on Trump is hard? Try being a journalist in Donetsk Posted: 10 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST When war came to my city in eastern Ukraine, it was hard – but vital – for people like me to stay objective When I started working as a journalist in my native city of Donetsk I never imagined that war would come to town, until the day it did. In the spring of 2014 tanks and pro-Russia separatists showed up on the streets of the city, which was quickly turned into the capital of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). Continue reading... |
| Chris Grayling gives go-ahead to road tunnel under Stonehenge Posted: 11 Jan 2017 04:01 PM PST Transport secretary takes 'big decision' to transform A303 in move experts say could irreparably damage world heritage site A tunnel is to be built under Stonehenge under plans announced by ministers, in a move that will reignite the controversy over improving major roads around the ancient site. Chris Grayling said he was taking a "big decision" to transform the A303, one of the main arteries to the south-west and a notorious bottleneck for lorries and holidaymakers, as part of a £2bn investment. |
| Charity helping Yazidi survivors of Isis sexual slavery shut down Posted: 11 Jan 2017 10:00 PM PST Kurdish authorities' closure of Yazda leaves more than 1,200 women and children without any support, warn activists Kurdish authorities have shut down a key charity that was supporting women and children from the Yazidi minority who survived Isis sexual slavery. The decision to abruptly close Yazda leaves more than 1,200 women and children without material, psychological or social support, charity officials and human rights activists warn. Continue reading... |
| Rodney Culleton insists he's a senator: I've still got the badge and the office Posted: 11 Jan 2017 10:32 PM PST Western Australian says stay against proceedings to seize assets, and claims this means he is not an undischarged bankrupt Rodney Culleton is maintaining he is still a senator despite the fact the president of the Senate has declared his seat vacant because of his bankruptcy. On Thursday Culleton won a one-week extension of a stay against proceedings to seize his assets, and claimed this meant he was not an undischarged bankrupt and his removal from the Senate was not valid. Continue reading... |
| The Briton vying to become the world's most powerful doctor Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST David Nabarro has called himself 'a doer who delivers', but what can he do to cure the World Health Organisation's many ills? He was the UN troubleshooter tasked with galvanising the world's response to the Ebola epidemic and led the fight against cholera in Haiti, just as he did earlier against global pandemic flu. So on paper, David Nabarro may seem the ideal candidate to become the world's most powerful doctor. In practice, the Briton faces a stiff contest, with five other candidates also vying to take over from Margaret Chan in May 2017 as head of the World Health Organisation, the troubled UN body much criticised for its slow response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak. The job has always in the past been decided between governments trading political alliances behind closed doors. But this time, with the WHO's credibility still on the line, Nabarro and his allies think his CV may be the right one. Continue reading... |
| Almost 75% of Japan's biggest coral reef has died from bleaching, says report Posted: 11 Jan 2017 08:22 PM PST Coral in the Sekisei lagoon in Okinawa has turned brown and is covered with algae, according to a government study Almost three-quarters of Japan's biggest coral reef has died, according to a report that blames its demise on rising sea temperatures caused by global warming. The Japanese environment ministry said that 70% of the Sekisei lagoon in Okinawa had been killed by a phenomenon known as bleaching. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The creeping rise of authoritarianism and the risk to media around the world – Project podcast Posted: 11 Jan 2017 07:30 PM PST Are democracies around the world slowly taking away the freedoms that keep them vibrant? While Australia and Japan have used metadata and secrecy laws to clamp down on leaks, the election of Donald Trump has thrown rights of the press into the spotlight. Japan correspondent Justin McCurry, immigration correspondent Ben Doherty and head of international news Jamie Wilson discuss the erosion of the media's ability to report on governments' actions in different parts of the world Continue reading... |
| Quokka escapes Rottnest Island on garbage barge, sparking fears for survival Posted: 11 Jan 2017 07:11 PM PST Search under way after marsupial startles recycling centre worker who thought it was a large rat Authorities in Western Australia are searching for a quokka that apparently escaped Rottnest Island in a rubbish bin and reemerged on the mainland, startling a recycling centre worker who thought it was a "large rat". Native to WA and famous for smiling happily in selfies, quokkas were largely eradicated on the mainland and survived thanks to a large, isolated population on Rottnest Island, a prison camp turned popular holiday destination off the coast of Perth. Continue reading... |
| 'Against our dignity': Mexico vows never to pay for Trump's wall Posted: 11 Jan 2017 06:46 PM PST Enrique Peña Nieto draws battle lines for changed relationship with the US amid fallout from Trump's tirades Mexico's president, Enrique Peña Nieto, has rejected any suggestions of his country paying for a border wall and pledged to sign an updated free-trade agreement with the European Union as he seeks to diversify the economy away from the United States. Speaking in uncharacteristically stern and straightforward language, Peña Nieto told an audience of Mexican diplomats: "All matters that define our bilateral relationship are on the table including security, immigration and commerce." |
| Avalanche comes through man's front door Posted: 11 Jan 2017 05:09 PM PST Steven Siig from North Lake Tahoe, California, photographs snow piled up inside his house after controlled avalanche nearby A northern California man photographed snow from an avalanche bursting through his front door as the state continued to battle storms. Steven Siig from Alpine Meadows, North Lake Tahoe, said he was hunkered down with his three children, wife and large German shepherd after a controlled avalanche set off by ski patrol encased his home in snow on Tuesday. |
| Insurers call for action after rise in hit-and-run incidents on UK roads Posted: 11 Jan 2017 04:01 PM PST Report calls for national campaign to promote accident responsibility, saying many people don't see motoring offences as 'real' crimes The number of hit-and-run accidents on Britain's roads has increased, in part due to people thinking an incident not serious enough – or being unaware of the legal requirement – to report it or leave their details, according to research by insurers and criminologists. Insurers warned that while victims of hit and run accidents often suffer long-term physical and emotional impacts, the practice was becoming more prevalent, and they called for measures including a national campaign promoting accident responsibility awareness. Continue reading... |
| 'Specific' terror evidence not necessary for RAF drone strikes Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:15 AM PST Attorney general says not knowing the target, type or time of a terrorist attack should not prevent military action "Specific" advance evidence of a terror plot threatening UK interests is not legally necessary before launching pre-emptive drone strikes against suspects overseas, according to the the attorney general. In a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Jeremy Wright QC denied that the threshold for self-defence was being "watered down" but said not knowing the target, type or time of a terrorist attack should not prevent military action. Continue reading... |
| Tennessee woman jailed for attempting abortion accepts plea deal for release Posted: 11 Jan 2017 09:46 AM PST Anna Yocca freed after initially facing a possible life sentence, but advocates fear her case is a validation of arresting pregnant women who attempt abortion A Tennessee woman arrested in late 2015 for using an unravelled coat hanger to attempt her own abortion was released from jail on Monday in exchange for a guilty plea to one felony count of procuring a miscarriage. Anna Yocca, 32, initially faced a possible life sentence for her September 2015 self-abortion attempt. Under her plea, she was given credit for the 13 months she spent in jail and released immediately. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 11 Jan 2017 07:12 AM PST My one-time boss and dear friend, and Oxfam's oldest alumnus, Tigger Stack, has died aged 95. Tigger first helped Oxfam's then one-man-band relief operation in India during a famine in 1966. She made a brilliant, energetic and idiosyncratic contribution at a time when the NGO world was still untouched by "professionalisation". She was born Margaret June Waight, daughter of Dinah and George Waight, in Darjeeling, where her father was a circuit judge with the British Indian civil service. She was sent to several schools in the UK – where she gained her nickname – and travelled back and forth to India. She was married at 19, to Adrian Hayter, and their daughter, Gael, was born in 1943. The marriage ended in divorce, and some years later Tigger married Cecil Stack, managing director of Dunlop Rubber in India. Continue reading... |
| World Bank downgrades India's growth forecast after demonetisation Posted: 11 Jan 2017 05:09 AM PST Financial institution blames recall of 1,000 and 500 rupee notes for 'still robust' lower rating, down 0.6% on earlier prediction The World Bank has downgraded the Indian economy's growth forecast as sharp falls in the country's automobile and real estate sales flagged the short-term impact of recalling India's two most-used bank notes. The Washington-based financial institution predicted India's economy would grow by a "still robust" 7% in the fiscal year to March 2017 – a 0.6% drop from its earlier forecast but still the fastest rate of any major economy in the world. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 11 Jan 2017 02:32 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| Fear and loathing in Nicosia: will peace talks unify Europe's last divided capital? Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST For 43 years a UN-patrolled no-man's land has dissected Cyprus' capital. As Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders meet for final peace talks, Helena Smith, who grew up on the island, questions whether reunification has a chance Some call it the dead zone; some a no-man's land; some the green line. For more than four decades, a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone has bisected Nicosia, running through the middle of the Cypriot capital and dividing its historic heart. It was a casualty of war: at first, the result of inter-communal fighting that took the form of Turkish Cypriot ghettos in the 60s; then as a no-man's land between ceasefire lines delineated by little more than what two opposing armies agreed were their last defended positions. Continue reading... |
| The Forbidden City: inside the abandoned Soviet camp of Wünsdorf Posted: 11 Jan 2017 04:28 AM PST Headquarters to the Nazis and then the Soviets, the East German military camp of Wünsdorf was once home to 75,000 Soviet men, women and children. Now 'Little Moscow' has been abandoned – but one man keeps the memories alive Rusty keys jangle as Juergen Naumann searches for the right one. He has 15 on one bunch, 25 on another. The last caretaker of the Red Army's former headquarters in Germany, he has access to all the buildings in what was once known as the Forbidden City – and remains a restricted area 22 years after the last Russian troops left for good. "You get to know the keys over the years," Naumann says. But it still takes a while to locate the right one. A dull click, and the door creaks open to reveal a dimly lit hall with marble tiles. Naumann's footsteps echo across the empty space as he switches on the electricity, illuminating two panoramas: one showing Soviet Moscow, the other Alexanderplatz in East Berlin, two huge photos from a world that no longer exists. Continue reading... |
| Nigerian state governor accuses aid agencies of profiting from Borno crisis Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST Governor Kashim Shettima says Unicef and others should leave Nigeria as agencies criticise government for underplaying crisis in north-east Aid agencies including the UN children's fund, Unicef, are profiting from money meant to help those fleeing Boko Haram's Islamic uprising and should leave the country, according to the governor of Nigeria's north-eastern Borno state. The comments by Kashim Shettima came as agencies warned of severe hunger and accused the government of underplaying the crisis. Continue reading... |
| UK aid watchdog encourages direct cash support for people in poor countries Posted: 11 Jan 2017 04:01 PM PST Cash transfer schemes likened by critics to 'exporting the dole' have significant impact and should be broadened, says Independent Commission for Aid Impact The British government should consider expanding a £200m aid programme that gives cash directly to some of the world's poorest families and individuals, a watchdog has recommended. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (Icai), which scrutinises aid money, said the government's cash transfer programmes – likened by one MP to "exporting the dole" – have improved the lives of millions of people and provided "strong value for money". Continue reading... |
| UK moves a step closer to dramatic rise in aid funding to private sector Posted: 11 Jan 2017 04:30 AM PST Transparency concerns fail to thwart passage of bill lifting cap on aid channeled though Department for International Development's investment arm Plans for a dramatic increase in the amount of aid that can be channeled through the CDC Group, the government's controversial private equity arm, have moved closer to fruition after crucial legislation passed through the Commons on Tuesday. The commonwealth development corporation bill, which will allow the government to lift the cap on aid funds spent through the CDC from £1.5bn to £6bn, was approved by MPs despite criticism of the organisation. |
| Will Trump’s business plans avoid presidential conflicts of interest? Posted: 11 Jan 2017 12:00 PM PST The president-elect has outlined measures to address concerns, but a watchdog says Trump will retain ultimate ownership of his business empire Donald Trump finally built a wall on Wednesday. A literal wall of paperwork that he claimed would protect his presidency from allegations of conflicts of interest. It is unlikely to do any such thing. Continue reading... |
| Rex Tillerson: I would block China's access to islands in South China Sea – video Posted: 12 Jan 2017 12:56 AM PST President-elect Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, appears before the US Senate foreign relations committee for his confirmation hearing and indicates he would take a strong stance on China's claims over the South China Sea. Telling the hearing that a 'clear signal' should be sent, Tillerson also criticises China's 'empty promises' over North Korean reform Continue reading... |
| Rex Tillerson: 'Russia must be held to account for its actions' – video Posted: 11 Jan 2017 01:03 PM PST Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson voices concerns about Russia's actions on the world stage, at a Senate foreign relations committee in Washington on Wednesday. Tillerson, Donald Trump's secretary of state nominee, was interrupted several times during his testimony by protestors angry over ExxonMobil's environmental record Continue reading... |
| BuzzFeed branded 'garbage' by Trump, who then attacks CNN – video Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:00 AM PST Donald Trump spars with CNN reporter Jim Acosta, refusing to take a question from him and calling him 'fake news'. In New York on Wednesday, speaking at his first press conference in six months, Trump calls Buzzfeed a 'failing pile of garbage' after it printed an unverified document with claims Russia had obtained compromising information about him
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| Trump attacks media and intelligence community in press conference – video Posted: 11 Jan 2017 10:01 AM PST Donald Trump repeatedly targeted the media and the US intelligence community as well as addressing Russia's alleged involvement in election hacking during his first press conference as president-elect. Watch the full highlights of Trump's press conference, his first in six months Continue reading... |
| Death penalty for Dylann Roof a ‘hollow victory’, says victim’s brother – video Posted: 11 Jan 2017 03:14 AM PST Melvin Graham, the brother of Cynthia Hurd, who was killed when 22-year-old Dylann Roof opened fire during a Bible study session in a church in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015, speaks to reporters outside court on Tuesday. He says that although he believes Roof deserves the death penalty it cannot bring his sister back. Roof killed nine black parishioners in the attack, which he has since stated was intended to start a race war Continue reading... |
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