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- Trump-Mexico relations hit new low after 20% border wall tax mooted
- 'Penelope-gate' casts dark shadow over Fillon's presidential prospects
- New Gambian president Adama Barrow returns home to joyous scenes
- Hard times for luxury Swiss watches as sales drop 10%
- Can 'man of the people' Martin Schulz oust Angela Merkel?
- Girls believe brilliance is a male trait, research into gender stereotypes shows
- Deadly wildfire razes entire town in Chile: 'Literally like Dante's Inferno'
- French presidential hopeful François Fillon denies claims about wife
- 'Global gag rule': stop playing politics with women's lives, MSF tells Trump
- Texas prisoner dies of lethal injection after last-minute appeal fails
- Mexican president cancels US visit over Trump's order to build border wall
- Shark photobombs 10-year-old surfer's big wave moment in Australia
- Pakistan bans religious TV host Aamir Liaquat Hussain over blasphemy allegations
- Italian authorities look into 'racist' video of man drowning in Venice
- Turkey and Russia skeptical of Trump's plan to create safe havens in Syria
- Greek court turns down extradition request for eight Turkish officers
- Mark Zuckerberg 'reconsiders' forcing Hawaiians to sell him their land
- Tulsi Gabbard reveals she met Assad in Syria, without informing top Democrats
- President Trump parrots Fox News again with attack on Chelsea Manning
- Protesters gather in New York as fear grows over Trump's immigration plans
- Platinum mining company tells massacre families: we can't afford to house you
- Brazil's former richest man sought by police in vast corruption inquiry
- Makhado mine: flashpoint for tensions over South Africa's pro-coal policies
- Australia Day attended by growing controversy and calls for date change
- Eyewitness: Santa Olga, Chile
- Integrity Idol puts public honesty number one | Ben Quinn
- Chinese new year: millions head home for festivities – in pictures
- Carole King releases new version of One Small Voice in protest against Trump
- Brian Eno: 'Donald Trump is a complete disaster'
- Scottish government pushed on which projects will bear brunt of £900m loss
- National borders cross a line of decency: we should all be citizens of the world
- Theresa May opens Trump visit by attacking past foreign policy failures
- The intolerance of the left: Trump's win as seen from Walt Disney's hometown
- Canadian scientists lend support to muzzled US counterparts
- Rod Culleton submissions 'unfocused and bombastic' in bankruptcy trial
- High court judge rejects key Labor arguments against Bob Day
- Julie Bishop urges US not to retreat from Indo-Pacific region
- Trump pressured parks chief for photos to prove 'media lied' about inauguration crowd – report
- Japan's annual consumer prices fall for first time in four years
- Barcelona cracks down on tourist numbers with accommodation law
- Donald Trump’s plan for China relations is to be unpredictable, adviser says
- Rhodesia issues ‘scorched earth’ threat – archive, 27 January 1966
- Wildfires cause widespread devastation to Chilean towns – video
- One in four genocide survivors in UK have faced abuse, poll finds
- Plane crashes into Perth’s Swan river as thousands look on – video
- Genocide survivors gather in London ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day
- Austria's new president calls for a tolerant nation and united Europe
- High heels dress code may breach health and safety law | Letters
- Republic Day in India - in pictures
- Woman who bought abortion pills for daughter can challenge prosecution
- Meet the woman who lived for six days without lungs – video
- Protest v parenthood: how the children of political activists suffer in silence
- Eyewitness: Shanghai, China
- Frankfurt prepares for Brexit bankers: 'Maybe our city will change them'
- Mozambique fell prey to the promise of fabulous wealth – now it can't pay nurses
- 'Global gag rule' jeopardises future of Asia health initiatives, campaigners say
- US could face human rights crisis after Trump's xenophobic immigration orders
- Trump: I will have to handle UK trade deal myself – video
- Trump: Meeting with Peña Nieto would have been 'fruitless' – video
- Doomsday Clock moves 30 seconds closer to midnight – video
- Journalist records inauguration protest moments before arrest – video
| Trump-Mexico relations hit new low after 20% border wall tax mooted Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:58 PM PST
Relations between the US and Mexico appeared to be heading for crisis on Thursday after Enrique Peña Nieto cancelled a meeting with Donald Trump and the White House retaliated by suggesting a new 20% tax on imports from its southern neighbour to finance the construction of a border wall. Related: Mexican president cancels US visit over Trump's order to build border wall Continue reading... |
| 'Penelope-gate' casts dark shadow over Fillon's presidential prospects Posted: 27 Jan 2017 12:36 AM PST Investigation into possible misuse of public funds bodes ill for French candidate who cast himself as a sleaze-free, austere figure It is the first major political scandal to hit the French presidential race and it could prove fatal. The rightwing presidential candidate, François Fillon, who built his campaign on the carefully crafted image of a sleaze-free honourable country gentleman, is facing a preliminary investigation by state financial prosecutors into possible misuse of public funds. It came about after a newspaper alleged his wife was paid €500,000 (£430,000) out of parliamentary funds over eight years for an assistant's job it claimed she never carried out. Continue reading... |
| New Gambian president Adama Barrow returns home to joyous scenes Posted: 26 Jan 2017 10:55 AM PST Return ends anxious wait after crisis sparked by predecessor Yahya Jammeh's refusal to step down The Gambia's new president, Adama Barrow, returned to his country on Thursday afternoon, prompting a noisy and joyous wave of hope and excitement at the prospect of a brighter future for the small, poor west African state. By late afternoon, thousands of people had lined the streets of Banjul, the capital, blowing whistles, dancing, banging drums and singing "We welcome you, our president, our hope, our solution" in the local Fula language. Continue reading... |
| Hard times for luxury Swiss watches as sales drop 10% Posted: 26 Jan 2017 10:48 AM PST Swiss watch federation reports huge drop in exports to China as official crackdown on bribery makes it worst year for industry since 2009 Sales of luxury Swiss watches dropped by 10% last year following a crackdown on corruption in China. The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said 2016 watch exports fell by more than 2bn Swiss francs (£1.6bn) to SFr19.4bn as the Chinese bought far fewer luxury watches, which have been used to grease the wheels of politics and commerce in the world's second-largest economy. It was the worst year for the Swiss watch industry since 2009, when sales declined by 22% due to the global financial crisis. Continue reading... |
| Can 'man of the people' Martin Schulz oust Angela Merkel? Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:03 AM PST Former president of European parliament offers hope to Germany's ailing SPD, but has his work cut out against current chancellor He had been well on his way to becoming a professional footballer when a meniscus tear put paid to his dreams and he fell into a state of depression, alcoholism and chain-smoking. Now, more than 42 years on, Martin Schulz is presenting the fiercest opposition yet to Angela Merkel's attempts to win a fourth term as German chancellor. The 61-year-old, who is returning to his homeland after 23 years in the European parliament – acting as its president since 2012 – is seen as offering the Social Democratic party (SPD) the best chance in years to reverse its fortunes, following a period of falling membership and poor electoral performances. Continue reading... |
| Girls believe brilliance is a male trait, research into gender stereotypes shows Posted: 26 Jan 2017 10:07 PM PST Study highlights how children as young as six can be influenced by stereotypes such as the idea that brilliance or giftedness is more common in men Girls as young as six years old believe that brilliance is a male trait, according research into gender stereotypes. The US-based study also found that, unlike boys, girls do not believe that achieving good grades in school is related to innate abilities. Continue reading... |
| Deadly wildfire razes entire town in Chile: 'Literally like Dante's Inferno' Posted: 26 Jan 2017 02:25 PM PST One body found in smouldering ruins of Santa Olga, the worst-hit of several smaller communities, as hot, dry weather fuels fiercest fires in recent history An entire town has been consumed by flames in Chile as unusually hot, dry weather undermined efforts to combat the worst forest fires in the country's recent history. Related: Chile battles devastating wildfires: 'We have never seen anything on this scale' Continue reading... |
| French presidential hopeful François Fillon denies claims about wife Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:34 PM PST Rightwing candidate rejects allegations about payments and vows to fight on The rightwing French presidential candidate François Fillon has denied claims that his wife was paid about €500,000 (£430,000) over eight years from public funds for a parliamentary assistant's job she never carried out. He also said he would not stand down when he appeared on the evening news on TF1 to answer questions about a scandal that could prove explosive for his presidential bid. Continue reading... |
| 'Global gag rule': stop playing politics with women's lives, MSF tells Trump Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:15 AM PST As affected groups worldwide take in news of Donald Trump's renewal of a policy that has dire implications for family planning, Médecins Sans Frontières has aimed a broadside at the US president's stance Médecins Sans Frontières has told the Trump administration to stop "playing politics" with women's rights and other global health efforts after the new US president reintroduced a policy likely to affect millions of women and girls around the world. The "global gag rule", which was reinstated by Donald Trump on Monday, withholds USAid funding from any overseas family planning organisation that offers or provides information about abortions. Continue reading... |
| Texas prisoner dies of lethal injection after last-minute appeal fails Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:52 PM PST The US supreme court rejects a plea from Terry Edwards' attorneys for stay of execution and reinvestigation of 'flawed' murder conviction There was no clear gunshot residue from the murder weapon on his hands and no blood from either victim on his body or clothes. Yet Terry Edwards has been put to death in Texas as the result of a conviction his attorneys argue was deeply flawed and potentially tainted with racial bias. After the federal fifth circuit appeals court denied his petition on Wednesday, Edwards' final hope for a stay of execution and a fresh examination of his case rested with a last-day appeal to the US supreme court. Continue reading... |
| Mexican president cancels US visit over Trump's order to build border wall Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:16 AM PST Enrique Peña Nieto has said Mexico will not pay for the wall, as US Congress faces questions about budgetary impact of its construction Mexico's president, Enrique Peña Nieto, has cancelled a scheduled visit to Washington next week to meet with Donald Trump, after the US president signed an executive order to move forward on construction of a border wall and repeated his claim that Mexico would be forced to pay for it. Peña Nieto tweeted on Thursday that he had informed the White House that he would not attend the meeting with Trump that had been scheduled for Tuesday. Continue reading... |
| Shark photobombs 10-year-old surfer's big wave moment in Australia Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:48 PM PST Boy, 10, was surfing off Port Stephens when picture-taking father realised son was on collision course with possible great white A man photographing his 10-year-old son surfing captured more than either of them bargained for when he snapped the boy sharing a wave with a shark. Chris Hasson was taking pictures of Eden off Samurai beach, Port Stephens, eastern Australia, this week when he realised that he had photographed a twisting shark – thought to be a great white - just below the surface on an apparent collision course with his son. Continue reading... |
| Pakistan bans religious TV host Aamir Liaquat Hussain over blasphemy allegations Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:07 AM PST Country's media regulator accuses TV host of repeatedly making claims tantamount to hate speech in his Bol TV show Pakistan's television regulator has banned a well-known talkshow host for hate speech, after he hosted shows accusing liberal activists and others of blasphemy, an inflammatory allegation that could put their lives at risk. Blasphemy is a criminal offence in Muslim-majority Pakistan that can result in the death penalty. Even being accused of blasphemy can provoke targeted acts of violence by religious rightwing vigilantes. Continue reading... |
| Italian authorities look into 'racist' video of man drowning in Venice Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:04 AM PST Onlookers allegedly yelled insults and abuse at Pateh Sabally, a 22-year-old Gambian, as he drowned in Grand Canal Italian magistrates have launched an investigation after a video was posted online showing an African man drowning in Venice's Grand Canal as onlookers watched and shouted racial abuse from nearby boats, local media said. The recording shown on various news websites appeared to pick up some bystanders yelling at the flailing man. "He is stupid. He wants to die," one person says. Another person allegedly shouts: "Go on, go back home." Continue reading... |
| Turkey and Russia skeptical of Trump's plan to create safe havens in Syria Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:16 AM PST US president's proposal met with caution from Russian and Turkish officials over northern safe zones as others fear possible intention to keep refugees out of US Donald Trump's proposal to set up safe havens in northern Syria has been met with caution by his allies and skepticism by others who fear the plan is aimed more at keeping refugees out of the US than providing for humanitarian needs. Turkey and Russia, on whom such a plan would heavily depend, on Thursday said they had not been consulted, hours after the US president pledged to "absolutely do safe zones in Syria for the people". Moscow said it was important not to "exacerbate the situation", while Ankara said a safe zone had already been set up under its auspices. Continue reading... |
| Greek court turns down extradition request for eight Turkish officers Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:18 AM PST Ankara expresses anger after supreme court rules men who fled in aftermath of failed coup should not be returned The Greek supreme court has turned down a Turkish demand to extradite eight military officers who fled in the aftermath of a coup attempt in a move likely to heighten tension between the neighbouring countries. The court ruled against the extradition of any of the eight men, citing possible violations of human rights if they were sent home. It was the last ruling after two rounds of appeals. Continue reading... |
| Mark Zuckerberg 'reconsiders' forcing Hawaiians to sell him their land Posted: 26 Jan 2017 08:35 AM PST Facebook CEO makes statement after backlash over 'quiet title actions' to secure parcels belonging to native owners within his $100m seafront property Mark Zuckerberg has said he is reconsidering whether to seek the forced sale of tracts of land belonging to native Hawaiians in a large estate he bought on the island of Kauai, after facing a wave of criticism. The Facebook CEO filed a series of lawsuits, known as quiet title actions, against hundreds of Hawaiians who may own small parcels of land within the boundaries of his seafront property on Kauai. The quiet title system is used to establish ownership of land where inheritance has occurred over generations and lacks formal documentation. It can result in owners being forced to sell their land at auction and, in some cases, pay the legal fees of the plaintiff. Continue reading... |
| Tulsi Gabbard reveals she met Assad in Syria, without informing top Democrats Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:58 AM PST Hawaiian congresswoman claims she went on a 'fact-finding' mission in support of 'peace' for Syrian people, but characterized US-backed rebels as 'terrorists' Democrats were silent on Thursday as Tulsi Gabbard, one of the party's sitting lawmakers in Congress, announced that she had met with Bashar al-Assad during a trip to war-torn Syria and dismissed his entire opposition as "terrorists". Gabbard, a Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, disclosed her meeting with the Syrian president on Wednesday, during what her office called a "fact-finding" mission in the region. Continue reading... |
| President Trump parrots Fox News again with attack on Chelsea Manning Posted: 26 Jan 2017 06:42 AM PST Trump calls army whistleblower an 'ungrateful traitor' in tweet 14 minutes after the words appeared on TV network, the third such instance in recent months Donald Trump has called whistleblower Chelsea Manning an "ungrateful traitor" and criticized Barack Obama's decision to commute her 35-year sentence by declaring that she "should never have been released from prison". Trump's tweet on Thursday morning is the first time he has addressed Manning's impending release, since Obama commuted her sentence in his final week in office: Continue reading... |
| Protesters gather in New York as fear grows over Trump's immigration plans Posted: 26 Jan 2017 05:20 AM PST Thousands gathered after news broke that Trump intended to sign executive order to temporarily halt US entry for citizens of Muslim-majority countries Thousands of New Yorkers gathered in the city's Washington Square Park on Wednesday night to protest the expected enforcement of a ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries entering the United States. Related: 'Sanctuary cities' endangered by Trump order threatening to cut federal funds Continue reading... |
| Platinum mining company tells massacre families: we can't afford to house you Posted: 27 Jan 2017 12:01 AM PST Amid protests on fifth anniversary of Marikana deaths, Loomin says low metal prices means housebuilding has been slow Platinum miner Lonmin has come under attack over its record on conditions for its workers, nearly five years after dozens of people were killed in violence at its Marikana mine in South Africa. Speaking as protesters displayed placards bearing the names of the dead, the chief executive, Ben Magara, told shareholders at the group's annual meeting that progress on building homes for 33,000 staff had been "slower than we would have liked". Continue reading... |
| Brazil's former richest man sought by police in vast corruption inquiry Posted: 26 Jan 2017 08:28 AM PST Eike Batista, businessman who made and lost billion-dollar fortune, accused of paying bribes to Rio de Janeiro state governor Brazilian police have issued an arrest warrant for a businessman famous for amassing and then losing a multibillion-dollar fortune, the latest person caught up in a wide-ranging corruption investigation roiling Latin America's largest country. Federal police were working with Interpol to locate Eike Batista, who may be in New York. Batista's lawyer Fernando Martins told the G1 news portal that his client was travelling and would surrender to police. Continue reading... |
| Makhado mine: flashpoint for tensions over South Africa's pro-coal policies Posted: 25 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST A campaign by locals and farming businesses to halt a large opencast mine highlights a far wider conflict over South Africa's continued addiction to coal On the horizon are the mountains, verdant rainforest on their well-watered, shaded southern slopes and arid scrub on the dry reverse slopes. Then there is the plain, studded with baobab trees and outcrops. Finally there is the river Limpopo. Beyond is another country: troubled, restive Zimbabwe. But here in the far north-east of South Africa, there is tension, too. In the Soutpansberg range and on the flat lands beyond, an improbable coalition of local farmers, villagers, big agricultural businessmen and activists are fighting to halt the development of a large opencast mine which, they say, would cause massive harm to the region. Continue reading... |
| Australia Day attended by growing controversy and calls for date change Posted: 26 Jan 2017 02:36 AM PST Increasing numbers of Australians question whether their titular national day is cause for celebration at all Australia's deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, has told his fellow citizens who do not share his love of Australia Day they are "miserable" and can "crawl under a rock and hide". The bonhomie, beer, and barbecues of Australia's titular national day of 26 January – marking the beginning of European settlement in 1788 – is increasingly attended in the 21st century by a furore over whether the date is cause for celebration at all. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 27 Jan 2017 02:28 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| Integrity Idol puts public honesty number one | Ben Quinn Posted: 27 Jan 2017 02:00 AM PST International television show Integrity Idol aims to do for upstanding officials what primetime talent contests have achieved for aspiring pop stars There is no glitter, diva-like tantrums or brilliantly lit stages, but the emotions on show are no less genuine for that. A Nepalese school principal, a Pakistani lab assistant and a Liberian janitor are among this year's finalists in an international contest that aims to do for honesty in public office what primetime talent contests have achieved for aspiring pop stars. Continue reading... |
| Chinese new year: millions head home for festivities – in pictures Posted: 27 Jan 2017 01:21 AM PST Tens of millions of Chinese will travel home during the spring festival period in what is often called the largest human migration. Lunar new year falls on 28 January this year Continue reading... |
| Carole King releases new version of One Small Voice in protest against Trump Posted: 27 Jan 2017 01:11 AM PST King, who joined a women's march through a snowstorm last weekend, says 'millions of small voices is how we change the world' Carole King has become the latest musician to release music as a statement of protest against Donald Trump's presidency. King has put out a version of her 1982 song One Small Voice, which is based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale The Emperor's New Clothes. "The emperor's got no clothes on / No clothes? That can't be; he's the emperor," she sings. "Take that child away / Don't let the people hear the words he has to say." Continue reading... |
| Brian Eno: 'Donald Trump is a complete disaster' Posted: 27 Jan 2017 12:32 AM PST Eno takes to Facebook to clarify his position after US rightwingers interpreted his Guardian interview as supportive of the new president Brian Eno has inisisted that "Donald Trump is a complete disaster". The legendary musician/producer/thinker/renaissance man took to Facebook in the wake of Simon Hattenstone's interview with him for the Guardian, published on Monday, to clear up any suggestion that he might have been happy about Trump's presidency. Related: Brian Eno: 'We've been in decline for 40 years – Trump is a chance to rethink' Continue reading... |
| Scottish government pushed on which projects will bear brunt of £900m loss Posted: 27 Jan 2017 02:14 AM PST MSPs challenge government to provide full and comprehensive analysis of impact after EU spending rules were breached The Scottish government has been challenged to explain which new infrastructure projects have been hit after it ran foul of strict EU rules on public spending. MSPs on Holyrood's finance committee have asked Scotland's finance secretary, Derek Mackay, for a full and comprehensive analysis of the impact of the error, which has lost the Scottish government at least £915m in spending for public sector construction projects. Continue reading... |
| National borders cross a line of decency: we should all be citizens of the world Posted: 27 Jan 2017 02:00 AM PST From contemporary Cameroon to communist East Germany, these geographical divisions are harmful and unnatural, and take a brutal human toll The most convincing border I know is near Ouesso, where Cameroon meets the Republic of the Congo. And the Central African Republic, just upriver. This morning, as on mornings eight years ago, I like to think the Gardien came out of his office on the misty riverbank, straightening his beret; ran up the pole the flag of Cameroon, saluted it, his expression blank, with just enough flourish to show due duty and professionalism, before retreating behind his desk, and attending to the the line of river travellers the pirogues disgorge now and then. This is a watched if not an obviously armed border, though no doubt the Gardien has weapons. His everyday weapons are stamps and ledgers. To be turned back there is no joke. The river may be presumed full of crocodiles; the surrounding equatorial rainforest dense and wild. This is a true, or pure, border, in that you cannot cross it illicitly without peril. And the Gardien has great authority. His battledress, his professionally slouching beret made me think of paratroopers. A sergeant, he had the paratrooper NCO's knack of switching on instant, overwhelming aggression when confronted and an instantly mollified air where he found cooperation. In our line, he found two felonies, some fees requiring payment and one attempted fraud – a lady who claimed she had a passport, and that she had recently used it here on the trip from which she was now attempting to return. The Gardien was not having it. His ledger was not having it, even when she pointed at a signature and said it was hers. Continue reading... |
| Theresa May opens Trump visit by attacking past foreign policy failures Posted: 26 Jan 2017 12:35 PM PST UK prime minister's speech to senior Republicans in Philadelphia marks clear break with Blair and Cameron's attempts to 'remake the world in our own image' Britain and the US must never again intervene in other sovereign countries' affairs in a bid to "remake the world in our own image", Theresa May has told senior Republican policymakers in Philadelphia. Related: 'Opposites attract': Theresa May signals strong relationship with Trump Continue reading... |
| The intolerance of the left: Trump's win as seen from Walt Disney's hometown Posted: 27 Jan 2017 02:00 AM PST Ivy League graduates micromanaging the country – that's how some in Marceline, Missouri, saw the status quo. In his native midwest, Thomas Frank investigates how the president won support despite local misgivings Liberal Americans like to think we know the answer to a lot of things – including why those who live outside liberal bubbles chose Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. Small-town people, we liberals think, are Republican people. At their best, they are pious, respectful, and conservative; at their worst they are smug and self-righteous, small-minded and yet capable of broad prejudice. People in the hinterlands, we think, are just different: all the adults are church-going puritans with a neatness obsession, and all the kids long to escape and finally be themselves. Continue reading... |
| Canadian scientists lend support to muzzled US counterparts Posted: 27 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST For nine years under Canada's previous government, science suffered harsh restrictions. Now US scientists may be facing a similar fate Canadian scientists – who were muzzled for nearly a decade by the country's previous Conservative government – have been making contact with their counterparts in the US to offer their support and solidarity amid mounting fears that Donald Trump's presidency will seek to suppress climate science. For nine years, scientists with Canada's federal government grappled with what many described as an all out assault on science. Continue reading... |
| Rod Culleton submissions 'unfocused and bombastic' in bankruptcy trial Posted: 27 Jan 2017 01:50 AM PST The former One Nation member was deemed an undischarged bankrupt last month and disqualified from the Senate, but still maintains he is a senator Submissions by Rod Culleton in his bankruptcy case, which led to him being ousted as a senator, have been described by a federal court judge as "unfocused and bombastic". The former One Nation-turned independent MP was deemed an undischarged bankrupt last month but denies he can't pay his debts and is appealing. Continue reading... |
| High court judge rejects key Labor arguments against Bob Day Posted: 27 Jan 2017 01:16 AM PST Judge disagrees former senator knew he retained financial interest in his electorate premises and that it could disqualify him A high court judge has rejected two key arguments made by Labor against the former Family First senator Bob Day. Day will face the full bench of the high court on 7 February in relation to whether he had a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a lease agreement between the owner of his electorate office premises, Fullarton Investments, and the federal government. Continue reading... |
| Julie Bishop urges US not to retreat from Indo-Pacific region Posted: 27 Jan 2017 12:28 AM PST Foreign minister raises concerns about militarisation of the South China Sea and says Australia will continue to exercise freedom of navigation in region Julie Bishop has implored the US not to retreat from the Indo-Pacific, warning most nations in the region are concerned about powers other than the US "calling the shots". She said Australia was concerned about the construction and militarisation of disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea, in particular the "pace and scale of China's activities," but it did not take side in territorial disputes. Continue reading... |
| Trump pressured parks chief for photos to prove 'media lied' about inauguration crowd – report Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:17 PM PST Post story came as reports suggested Trump had been obsessed with stories that accurately said inauguration had noticeably smaller crowd than Obama's in 2009 Donald Trump ordered the National Park Service director to produce additional photographs of his inauguration crowds, believing the images "might prove that the media had lied" about the size of the audience, according to the Washington Post. Related: Trump's inauguration crowd: Sean Spicer's claims versus the evidence Continue reading... |
| Japan's annual consumer prices fall for first time in four years Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:01 PM PST Prime minister Shinzo Abe has spent the past four years trying to coax consumers into spending more Shinzo Abe's mission to lift Japan out of the deflationary spiral that has plagued its economy for two decades suffered another setback on Friday after data showed annual consumer prices had fallen for the first time in four years. The data will add to the prime minister's frustration that years of massive monetary easing and fiscal stimulus have so far failed to drag Japan out of the deflationary abyss, although the recent recovery in oil prices offers some cause for optimism. Continue reading... |
| Barcelona cracks down on tourist numbers with accommodation law Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST Spanish city expected to pass law to limit number of beds on offer and impose moratorium on building new hotels The city of Barcelona is expected to pass a law on Friday to curb tourism as visitors have begun to overwhelm the city and anger local residents. Last year the city's 1.6 million residents were heavily outnumbered by an estimated 32 million visitors, about half of them day-trippers. Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump’s plan for China relations is to be unpredictable, adviser says Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:17 PM PST Since his election, Trump has confused Beijing with comments on South China Sea, Taiwan and the yuan Donald Trump's game plan for relations with China is to use unpredictability as a means of wrong-footing the country's Communist party leaders and extracting economic concessions, a prominent adviser has said. Since his election, Trump and his team have repeatedly discombobulated the Chinese government with a series of interventions on sensitive issues such as the South China Sea, US relations with Taiwan and China's alleged manipulation of its currency, the yuan. Continue reading... |
| Rhodesia issues ‘scorched earth’ threat – archive, 27 January 1966 Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:00 PM PST 27 January 1966: Following its declaration of independence, Rhodesia says it will take drastic action to resist UK attempts to retake the southern African state Salisbury, January 26 The only way Rhodesia could be crushed would be by force, he said. But "Everything in the path of an advancing army would be destroyed – all amenities and installations," he added. "If Harold Wilson were to prevail in this country he would take over a smoking ruin and a desert. The Russians had the fortitude to adopt a policy of scorched earth and so have we." Continue reading... |
| Wildfires cause widespread devastation to Chilean towns – video Posted: 26 Jan 2017 06:31 PM PST The fast-spreading blazes of recent weeks have destroyed about 385,000 acres of forest and killed eight people, including a firefighter and two police officers who died on Wednesday. The fires have been fanned by strong winds, hot temperatures and a prolonged drought. Continue reading... |
| One in four genocide survivors in UK have faced abuse, poll finds Posted: 26 Jan 2017 04:01 PM PST More relatives of survivors deal with racial or religious hatred, according to research released to mark Holocaust Memorial Day More than one-quarter of survivors of the Holocaust and the genocides that followed who are living in the UK have experienced discrimination or abuse linked to their religion or ethnicity, research released to mark Holocaust Memorial Day shows. The figure is higher for survivors' relatives, with 38% saying they have experienced racial or religious hatred, according to the poll released by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) on Friday. Continue reading... |
| Plane crashes into Perth’s Swan river as thousands look on – video Posted: 26 Jan 2017 01:40 PM PST A pilot and passenger died after their flying boat nosedived into the Swan river during Australia Day celebrations on Thursday afternoon. A number of boats on the river sped to the scene and tried in vain to rescue the occupants. It is believed the Grumman G-73 'Mallard' was part of an airshow over the river ahead of Perth's annual Skyworks fireworks display Continue reading... |
| Genocide survivors gather in London ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day Posted: 26 Jan 2017 12:04 PM PST More than 200 survivors from darkest chapters in human history attend event in Westminster to reflect on their trauma Genocide survivors have gathered at a special commemoration on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day to reflect on the long-lasting trauma left once the killing stops. More than 200 survivors from some of the darkest chapters in recent human history joined religious leaders, dignitaries and 1,000 guests in Westminster on Thursday in the act of remembrance for the 6 million Jews murdered as part of Hitler's Final Solution, and those who died in subsequent genocides in Rwanda, Bosnia, Cambodia and Darfur. Continue reading... |
| Austria's new president calls for a tolerant nation and united Europe Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:00 AM PST In his first speech since beating rightwing rival Norbert Hofer in election, Alexander Van der Bellen rejects nationalism Austria's new president has called for a tolerant and diverse nation, free of ideological and racial hatred, in an inauguration speech on Thursday that embraced the ideal of a united Europe. Alexander Van der Bellen outlined a markedly different vision from that offered during campaigning by his rightwing rival Norbert Hofer, the populist he defeated last month after an unprecedented repeat vote. Continue reading... |
| High heels dress code may breach health and safety law | Letters Posted: 26 Jan 2017 10:11 AM PST Companies are not only breaching the Equality Act when they oblige female employees to wear high-heeled shoes at work (MPs call for new law on sexist dress codes, 25 January). There is well-established evidence for the harm caused to women's musculo-skeletal health by the protracted wearing of high heels and employers can reasonably be expected to be aware of this. It is a basic requirement of UK health and safety law that employers assess the risks to which their employees are exposed at work and take reasonable measures to control these risks. Knowingly obliging workers to wear clothing or footwear that is harmful to their health may be construed as an offence against this requirement. • In the winter of 1973, when strike action by power workers reduced office heating to three hours a day, we "girls" were allowed to wear trousers. When I continued to do so after the strikers went back to work I was told, in no uncertain terms, to go back to wearing skirts (Women should not forget that heels are a feminist issue, 26 January). Plus ça change. |
| Republic Day in India - in pictures Posted: 26 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST India marks the 67th anniversary of its constitution coming into effect with an elaborate displays of military might and cultural events across the country Continue reading... |
| Woman who bought abortion pills for daughter can challenge prosecution Posted: 26 Jan 2017 07:28 AM PST Judge allows judicial review in case that is set to focus attention on Northern Ireland's abortion legislation A mother who helped her 15-year-old daughter procure abortion pills online has won the right to contest the decision to prosecute her, in a groundbreaking case set to focus attention on Northern Ireland's abortion legislation. A judge in Belfast granted permission on Thursday for a judicial review to be heard over the prosecution of the mother, saying that the case raised "issues of considerable public importance and public debate". |
| Meet the woman who lived for six days without lungs – video Posted: 26 Jan 2017 04:50 AM PST Doctors saved a Canadian woman's life by removing her lungs for six days while she waited for a double lung transplant. In what is believed to be the first procedure of its kind in the world, Melissa Benoit arrived at Toronto hospital with just hours to live when staff and her family decided to take the unprecedented procedure |
| Protest v parenthood: how the children of political activists suffer in silence Posted: 26 Jan 2017 03:00 AM PST The ascendance of Trump has renewed political resistance. But many children of past activists say their parents' choices made them feel secondary to the cause As a little girl, Rachel Fast's parents took her to a Christmas party in the basement of the famous married couple, WEB Du Bois and Shirley Graham, both writers and activists. A giant Christmas tree stood in the corner, music tinkled happily, and the adults milled around drinking. But Fast, the daughter of prominent novelist and then communist activist Howard Fast, was not amused: the children of the Rosenbergs were at the party. Their parents were in prison awaiting execution. "It was imminent," Fast remembers. Rachel Fast's parents had been involved in trying to save the Rosenbergs, who were convicted of espionage, from execution. But the demonstrations, meetings and letter-writing had all failed. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 26 Jan 2017 02:21 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| Frankfurt prepares for Brexit bankers: 'Maybe our city will change them' Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:15 PM PST 'Boring' Frankfurt is set to attract financial businesses from London with its accessibility, low property costs and family-friendly facilities. 'Maybe these play hard, work hard people will start to enjoy the slower pace,' hopes one resident In the heart of the Frankfurt banking district of Westend, Luise Hoepfner serves a steady stream of office workers her lunchtime menu of organic salads, soups and spelt-flour savoury tarts. The 28-year-old worked in event management for several years before opening her restaurant Vif (old German for "chipper" or "lively") on Mendelssohnstrasse in September. "I am convinced this is the right time to invest in Frankfurt," Hoepfner says. "It's cheaper than London – just – and it's growing all the time. When Brexit happens, whatever form that takes, it will only increase the demand." Continue reading... |
| Mozambique fell prey to the promise of fabulous wealth – now it can't pay nurses Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST Nurses and teachers are among those bearing the brunt of a debt crisis rooted in the mistaken belief that major gas reserves would bring untold riches Mozambique's £1.6bn borrowing spree has caused a fiscal crisis that means interest on loans, civil service new year bonuses and other government bills was not paid this month. Four years ago, with one of Africa's largest natural gas reserves in development and visions of fabulous wealth before them, Mozambique's leaders took secret loans worth $2bn. These were organised by the London offices of two major European banks, Credit Suisse and the Russian state-owned bank VTB, the conduct of whom was sufficiently questionable that they are now being investigated by financial authorities in the UK, Switzerland and the US. Continue reading... |
| 'Global gag rule' jeopardises future of Asia health initiatives, campaigners say Posted: 26 Jan 2017 05:25 AM PST Funding for programmes from sanitation to nutrition will be subject to Trump's far-reaching order, with huge implications for family planning providers Women's health advocates across Asia have said Donald Trump's decision to reinstate and beef up the "global gag rule" will result in hundreds of thousands of unwanted pregnancies and imperil programmes aimed at improving sanitation, treating Aids and protecting LGBT activists. Health providers and advocacy groups in Delhi, Phnom Penh, Jakarta and beyond have been holding emergency meetings since Tuesday's announcement that US aid funding was now contingent on organisations abandoning their abortion advocacy work, services or information. Continue reading... |
| US could face human rights crisis after Trump's xenophobic immigration orders Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:57 AM PST Hidden among the promise of a wall and the withdrawal of funding to sanctuary cities is a much more insidious – and immediate – move to replace the 'catch and release' border policy with mandatory detention Donald Trump is now effectively at war with undocumented migrants inside the US and those who attempt to cross the southern border without paperwork. Advisers and analysts alike have long suggested that Trump ought to be taken "seriously but not literally", but Wednesday's two executive orders on immigration show that he is living up to the blustering rhetoric of the 2016 election trail. Continue reading... |
| Trump: I will have to handle UK trade deal myself – video Posted: 27 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST Ahead of a meeting with Theresa May, Donald Trump says he will have to handle trade discussions himself as his chosen commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, has yet to be offically confirmed by the Senate. The president was speaking at the Republicans' retreat in Philadelphia on Thursday Continue reading... |
| Trump: Meeting with Peña Nieto would have been 'fruitless' – video Posted: 26 Jan 2017 12:26 PM PST President Trump says his meeting with Peña Nieto, the president of Mexico – now cancelled – would have been 'fruitless'. Speaking at a meeting of congressional Republicans in Philadelphia on Thursday, Trump argued that this would remain the case until Mexico treats the US with the necessary respect Continue reading... |
| Doomsday Clock moves 30 seconds closer to midnight – video Posted: 26 Jan 2017 11:51 AM PST President Trump's election win alongside wider geopolitical turbulence causes the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to move the Doomsday Clock 30 seconds closer to midnight. Rachel Bronson, from the organisation, cited Trump's rejection of climate change science and his 'reckless' language around nuclear weapons as factors in the decision Continue reading... |
| Journalist records inauguration protest moments before arrest – video Posted: 26 Jan 2017 09:44 AM PST Footage recorded by the RT America journalist Alexander Rubinstein captures the chaos of the inauguration protests in Washington last Friday. Rubinstein, who was providing live coverage of the protest in a professional capacity, appears to be pushed over by a police officer before his arrest Continue reading... |
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