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- A human rights activist, a secret prison and a tale from Xi Jinping's new China
- Outcry after Republicans vote to dismantle independent ethics body
- Donald Trump says US safe from North Korean nuclear strike – no thanks to China
- ‘Mass molestation’ in Bangalore blamed on Indians ‘copying’ west
- Israeli police question Benjamin Netanyahu in corruption inquiry
- Syrian rebels freeze peace talks after Assad abuses ceasefire
- Facebook blocks photo of Neptune statue for being 'explicitly sexual'
- Dylann Roof barred from approaching jury and witnesses during sentencing
- Rebecca Ferguson says she will play Trump inauguration if she can sing Strange Fruit
- Cuba marks anniversary of revolution with show of military strength
- Passchendaele battle centenary events to be held in Belgium
- Baghdad car bomb leaves at least 24 dead
- Polish PM urged to block bison hunting plan
- Dozens killed in gang violence at Brazilian jail
- French trial reveals vast wealth of Equatorial Guinean president's son
- 'The ruined city of Mogadishu had a hellish feeling': Helping Somalia's sick
- Tiger makes millions for couple who brought Danish store to UK
- North Korean nuclear attack on US won't happen, says Donald Trump – video report
- Death on the road: can Mumbai shed its reputation as the ‘car crash capital’?
- Man shot dead by police on M62 during planned operation
- The Obama years: timeline of a presidency
- Ranulph Fiennes to attempt ascent of South America's highest peak
- Suspected irukandji sting at Fraser Island the ninth in six days
- New Zealand police call off search for girl missing at sea with her father
- Finland trials basic income for unemployed
- Pope declares 'zero tolerance' for sexual abuse in Catholic church
- Shots fired in New Year's Day clash between PNG police and military – video
- British soldier killed in incident at base near Baghdad
- Wartime Britain’s welcome for black GIs was complicated | Letters
- British woman jailed in Iran released from solitary confinement
- Best photographs of the day: 'Hollyweed' and Afghan gamblers
- Trump victory spurs women to run for office across US: 'Our time is coming'
- Rohingya police beating footage: Myanmar government to investigate – video
- Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan's mother dies in car crash
- Myanmar to investigate video of police beating Rohingya villagers
- ‘Off the shelf’ bone replacements offer life-changing help to landmine victims
- Brazil's men helped to become better fathers to reduce gender violence
| A human rights activist, a secret prison and a tale from Xi Jinping's new China Posted: 02 Jan 2017 06:12 PM PST Peter Dahlin spent 23 days in a 'black prison' in Beijing, where he says he was deprived of sleep and questioned with a 'communication enhancement' machine. Here he tells the story of his incarceration and expulsion from the People's Republic Some nights Peter Dahlin says he tucks a "big-ass knife" under his bed in case intruders come for him as he dozes; others he cannot sleep at all. "They've kidnapped people several times here before," says the 36-year-old Swedish human rights activist, chain-smoking Marlboro cigarettes as he remembers the 23 days he spent in secret detention in China. Continue reading... |
| Outcry after Republicans vote to dismantle independent ethics body Posted: 02 Jan 2017 07:46 PM PST Office of Congressional Ethics was created in 2008 to investigate allegations of misconduct by lawmakers House Republicans have gutted an independent ethics watchdog, putting it under their own control, in a secret ballot hours before the new Congress convened for the first time. The unheralded vote severely weakens the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), which was set up after a lobbying scandal in 2008 to investigate corruption allegations against members of Congress. The move, led by the head of the House judiciary committee, defied the Republican congressional leadership and was reportedly supported by several legislators currently under OCE scrutiny. Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump says US safe from North Korean nuclear strike – no thanks to China Posted: 03 Jan 2017 12:43 AM PST 'It won't happen': president-elect dismisses Kim Jong-un's claim of an upcoming ICBM test but says Beijing 'won't help' bring the regime to heel Donald Trump has said no North Korean nuclear bomb will reach the US mainland, a day after the regime in Pyongyang claimed it was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The president-elect – who has yet to articulate his incoming administration's approach to North Korea's nuclear weapons programme – also took another swipe at China, accusing Beijing of failing to rein in the North's nuclear ambitions. |
| ‘Mass molestation’ in Bangalore blamed on Indians ‘copying’ west Posted: 02 Jan 2017 08:59 AM PST State minister says women harassed during New Year's Eve celebrations because young people dressed and acted like westerners An alleged "mass molestation" on the streets of one of India's biggest cities on New Year's Eve was the result of young people trying to "copy" western mindsets and clothing, an Indian state minister has claimed. Thousands of people gathered on two central streets in Bangalore on Saturday night to celebrate the new year. Local newspaper reports and witnesses said the crowd became unruly and began to subject women to sexual assault and harassment. Continue reading... |
| Israeli police question Benjamin Netanyahu in corruption inquiry Posted: 02 Jan 2017 10:37 AM PST Prime minister has denied any wrongdoing and told opponents earlier on Monday to 'hold off on the partying' Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was interviewed by detectives investigating whether he broke the law by receiving gifts from wealthy businessmen. The questioning under caution took place at Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem. The police team did not speak to journalists as they arrived. Reports said the questioning lasted around three hours. Continue reading... |
| Syrian rebels freeze peace talks after Assad abuses ceasefire Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:34 PM PST It had been hoped that negotiations being prepared by Moscow would follow the ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey Syrian rebel groups announced on Monday that they had decided to freeze any talks about their possible participation in Syrian peace negotiations being prepared by Moscow in Kazakhstan unless the Syrian government and its Iran-backed allies end what it said were violations of a ceasefire. Related: Briton killed while fighting against Isis in Syria Continue reading... |
| Facebook blocks photo of Neptune statue for being 'explicitly sexual' Posted: 02 Jan 2017 12:37 PM PST Social network admits error after photo of 16th-century statue in Piazza del Nettuno was blocked for showing the body 'to an excessive degree' Facebook is facing renewed criticism after its software appears to have blocked a photograph of a 16th-century statue of Neptune that stands in the Piazza del Nettuno in the Italian city of Bologna, claiming it is "sexually explicit". Local writer Elisa Barbari had chosen the statue, which shows Neptune naked and holding a trident, to illustrate her Facebook page "Stories, curiosities and views of Bologna." But the Nettuno picture fell foul of the social media giant's privacy policies, the Daily Telegraph reported. Continue reading... |
| Dylann Roof barred from approaching jury and witnesses during sentencing Posted: 02 Jan 2017 09:37 AM PST Judge limits Roof's movements in court as he prepares to represent himself for sentencing after he was found guilty of 2015 shooting at Charleston church A judge has issued an order limiting Dylann Roof's movement within the federal courtroom where he will be acting as his own lawyer during sentencing. US district judge Richard Gergel on Monday ruled that Roof cannot approach witnesses or the jury during court, set to get under way on Tuesday. He will also be sitting in a chair furthest from the jury and victims' family members. Continue reading... |
| Rebecca Ferguson says she will play Trump inauguration if she can sing Strange Fruit Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:04 PM PST British singer says she would appear at the ceremony if she could perform anti-lynching anthem popularized by Billie Holiday Singer Rebecca Ferguson has said she would accept an invitation to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration on 20 January on one condition: she be allowed to sing Strange Fruit. First recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939 and covered by Nina Simone in 1965, Strange Fruit is one of the nation's most famous songs about racism. The lyrics by Abel Meeropol graphically describe the lynchings of African-Americans: Continue reading... |
| Cuba marks anniversary of revolution with show of military strength Posted: 02 Jan 2017 09:37 AM PST Student leader reaffirms country's commitment to independence as troops and civilians march through Havana Cuban troops and hundreds of thousands of citizens have paraded through Revolution Square in the capital in a traditional show of strength. Schoolchildren wearing red and white pioneer uniforms kicked off the event in Havana by surrounding a replica of the Granma yacht, which carried the Castro brothers, Ernesto "Che" Guevara and others from Mexico to Cuba to start the revolution in 1959. Continue reading... |
| Passchendaele battle centenary events to be held in Belgium Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:01 PM PST Major commemorations to take place this summer to mark centenary of one of the bloodiest battles of the first world war Major commemorations will take place in Belgium in the summer to mark the centenary of one of the bloodiest battles of the first world war, the UK culture secretary has announced. Four thousand free tickets will be made available to descendants of British soldiers killed in the battle of Passchendaele for the events to be held in the town of Ypres, 100 years since the offensive was launched. Continue reading... |
| Baghdad car bomb leaves at least 24 dead Posted: 02 Jan 2017 07:14 AM PST More than 60 people also wounded in blast in Sadr City district of Iraqi capital, which comes after weekend of deadly attacks At least 24 people have been killed by a car bomb in the Sadr City district of Baghdad claimed by the Islamic State. A statement distributed by the Isis-supporting Amaq news agency said it had targeted Shia Muslims, whom it considers apostates. Sixty-seven people were wounded in the blast. Continue reading... |
| Polish PM urged to block bison hunting plan Posted: 02 Jan 2017 10:08 AM PST Greenpeace gathers almost 9,000 signatures on letter as opponents say Europe's largest mammals are endangered and protected by law Environmentalists are fighting Polish plans to allow hunters to shoot bison. Officials say limited hunting allows for a controlled elimination of weak animals and earns money for care for the herds. But opponents say Europe's largest mammals are endangered and protected by law. Continue reading... |
| Dozens killed in gang violence at Brazilian jail Posted: 02 Jan 2017 07:42 AM PST Decapitated bodies thrown over prison wall in Manaus after clash between prisoners aligned with rival drug gangs A prison riot has left at least 56 people dead, with decapitated bodies thrown over prison walls in the bloodiest violence in more than two decades in Brazil's overcrowded penitentiary system, officials in the Amazon city of Manaus said on Monday. The head of security for Amazonas state, Sergio Fontes, earlier said the death toll could rise as authorities got a clearer idea of the scale of the violence. Continue reading... |
| French trial reveals vast wealth of Equatorial Guinean president's son Posted: 02 Jan 2017 07:25 AM PST Teodorin Obiang, accused of plundering $115m, owns luxury properties, yachts, cars – and Michael Jackson's crystal glove The days of the Bugattis, the chateau Pétrus and the fine Parisian restaurants may be over for Teodorin Obiang – at least in western Europe. Related: Has Africa had its fill of 'strongmen'? Continue reading... |
| 'The ruined city of Mogadishu had a hellish feeling': Helping Somalia's sick Posted: 03 Jan 2017 01:00 AM PST In this extract from his book, The World's Emergency Room, Dr Michael Vanrooyen recalls the menace and mayhem of his first humanitarian mission The moment the back hatch of the C-130 cargo opened at the militarised airport in Mogadishu [in 1992], a wave of intense heat hit me. The hot wind blew fine red dust that covered me before I even reached the tarmac. I knew this place would be unlike any other I had been to before. Unosom, the United Nations Operation in Somalia, controlled the airport, and the property was surrounded by military vehicles, sandbagged posts and razor wire. It was a hive of NGO and UN activity, with shipments of relief goods and aid workers arriving hourly. I hitched a ride with the Save the Children convoy and stayed in their walled compound until I could find my way to our headquarters. The rest of the team, including [my partner] Julie, arrived the next day, and I joined them at the Samaritan's Purse compound. During our first night there, we heard yelling and running and machine gunfire just ouside of our room. After the first crackles of gunfire, I realised that all the windows to the bedroom were open. I yelled to Julie to roll off the bed and lie flat on the floor. Keeping the lights off, we crawled on our hands and knees out of the room and up the building's two flights of stairs to avoid being shot through the open windows along the stairway. The gunshots now sounded like they were all around the house. Continue reading... |
| Tiger makes millions for couple who brought Danish store to UK Posted: 03 Jan 2017 12:59 AM PST Philip and Emma Bier sell stake in homeware retailer for many millions 11 years after opening first shop in Britain The couple who brought the Danish homewares retailer Tiger to Britain have received a multimillion-pound windfall after selling their stake in the business. Philip and Emma Bier opened the first Tiger shop in the UK in Basingstoke in 2005 after Philip Bier gave up a career in photography because he thought the quirky Danish brand could thrive in the UK. Continue reading... |
| North Korean nuclear attack on US won't happen, says Donald Trump – video report Posted: 03 Jan 2017 12:42 AM PST President-elect Donald Trump said in a Tweet on Monday that no North Korean nuclear bomb will reach the US mainland. Pyongyang says it is close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile. Trump also accused China of failing to rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Photograph: KCNA/Reuters Continue reading... |
| Death on the road: can Mumbai shed its reputation as the ‘car crash capital’? Posted: 02 Jan 2017 11:15 PM PST One person is killed on Mumbai's roads every 15 hours, the worst record in India. In an attempt to get a grip on the chaos, the police are going digital – recording fines electronically and installing CCTV. But will it stop people taking risks? For 30 minutes after she was hit, Archana Pandya lay bleeding on a road in the busy Mumbai suburb of Goregaon. The 22-year-old, who had just started a new job, was on her way home from work when she was the victim of a hit-and-run. She died of her injuries. "There were a lot of people there, and it happened right opposite a police station, but no one came forward to help," says her brother Siddharth Pandya. "It's not the roads; in India, it's the people that are unsafe." Pandya was one of 586 people killed in road accidents in Mumbai in 2015, the equivalent of one death every 15 hours. Another 2,034 were seriously injured. The long response times of ambulances and emergency vehicles, coupled with the unwillingness of bystanders to help road victims for fear of being detained by police and hospitals, contribute to slow, painful deaths for hundreds of people every year. As a result, Mumbai – a city with roughly the same number of cars as London, but more than four times the number of road fatalities – has become known as India's "crash capital". In 2015 there were 23,468 recorded traffic collisions: the highest in the country. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Man shot dead by police on M62 during planned operation Posted: 03 Jan 2017 12:52 AM PST IPCC investigating incident that police say was not terrorism-related, as total of five people are arrested An investigation is under way after a man was shot and killed by police during a pre-planned operation on the M62 motorway in Huddersfield. Police said the incident was not terrorism-related, adding that there had been five arrests, three at the scene and two in a "related stop" of another vehicle in Bradford. Continue reading... |
| The Obama years: timeline of a presidency Posted: 03 Jan 2017 01:00 AM PST In a turbulent eight years Barack Obama faced the biggest economic crisis since the 1930s while abroad reaching historic agreements with Iran and Cuba 5 November |
| Ranulph Fiennes to attempt ascent of South America's highest peak Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:01 PM PST 72-year-old explorer aims to become first person to climb each continent's tallest mountain and cross both polar ice caps The explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is set to take on blizzards, minus 30C temperatures and his own fear of heights as he ascends one of the world's most perilous peaks. At 72 and with ailing health, the seasoned adventurer is pursuing a unique record, aiming to become the first person to climb each continent's highest mountain and cross both polar ice caps. Continue reading... |
| Suspected irukandji sting at Fraser Island the ninth in six days Posted: 03 Jan 2017 12:21 AM PST Nineteen-year-old snorkeller is treated by paramedics before being airlifted to hospital in Bundaberg A snorkeller is in hospital after the ninth suspected irukandji jellyfish sting at Queensland's Fraser Island in less than a week. The 19-year-old man was stung on the lip while swimming in Coongul creek on the western side of the island about 11am on Tuesday. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being airlifted to Bundaberg base hospital. |
| New Zealand police call off search for girl missing at sea with her father Posted: 02 Jan 2017 09:34 PM PST Police said the case would remain an active missing person's investigation, but there was nothing 'to suggest anything near criminal' had taken place New Zealand police have called off the search for missing six-year-old Que Langdon and her father, who disappeared at sea after setting sail on a small catamaran more than two weeks ago. Related: New Zealand police search for six-year-old girl and father missing at sea for two weeks Continue reading... |
| Finland trials basic income for unemployed Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:59 PM PST Government hopes two-year social experiment will cut red tape, reduce poverty and boost employment Finland has become the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens a basic monthly income, amounting to €560 (£477/US$587), in a unique social experiment that is hoped to cut government red tape, reduce poverty and boost employment. Olli Kangas from the Finnish government agency KELA, which is responsible for the country's social benefits, said on Monday that the two-year trial with 2,000 randomly picked citizens receiving unemployment benefits began on 1 January. Continue reading... |
| Pope declares 'zero tolerance' for sexual abuse in Catholic church Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:08 PM PST December letter becomes public in which Francis denounces 'atrocities' by clergy as 'a sin that shames us' and must be rooted out Pope Francis has told bishops around the world they must adhere to a policy of "zero tolerance" for clergy who sexually abuse children and begged forgiveness for "a sin that shames us". In a letter sent on 28 December but released by the Vatican only on Monday, Francis said: "I would like us to renew our complete commitment to ensuring that these atrocities will no longer take place in our midst." Continue reading... |
| Shots fired in New Year's Day clash between PNG police and military – video Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:41 PM PST Video footage shows shots being fired as Papua New Guinea's military and police clash in the early hours of New Year's Day in the capital, Port Moresby. Local television station EMTV captured the violent clash between the country's two armed forces Continue reading... |
| British soldier killed in incident at base near Baghdad Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:16 PM PST Soldier from 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's regiment died at Camp Taji – but not as a result of enemy activity A British soldier has been killed in Iraq following an "incident", the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The soldier, from the 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, did not die as a result of enemy fire, the MoD said. Its statement said: "The death occurred in Taji, Iraq, following an incident that is currently under investigation, but we can confirm that it was not as a result of enemy activity." Continue reading... |
| Wartime Britain’s welcome for black GIs was complicated | Letters Posted: 02 Jan 2017 09:36 AM PST While Hugh Muir's observations on the positive reception received by African American troops in the UK during the second world war are largely accurate (Intolerant Britain: history shows we're better than this, Opinion, 31 December), the full story is more complicated. The presence of American soldiers was a temporary wartime expedient, and the treatment these young men received, particularly those who were black, was partially because they would not be staying. Moreover, while African Americans were certainly welcomed, this reflected not only British hospitality but also anti-American sentiment as much as a rejection of American racism. British publicans, for example, objected to being told by white Americans who they could or could not serve. As one Briton noted: "I don't mind the Yanks, but I can't say I care for those white chaps they've brought with them." • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com Continue reading... |
| British woman jailed in Iran released from solitary confinement Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:38 AM PST Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, sentenced on secret charges in September, is now being held with other women at Tehran's Evin prison A British-Iranian woman being held in an Iranian prison has been released from solitary confinement, her husband has said. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 37, was sentenced in September to five years in prison on secret charges related to a "soft overthrow" of the country's government that were not revealed in open court. Continue reading... |
| Best photographs of the day: 'Hollyweed' and Afghan gamblers Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:01 AM PST The Guardian's picture editors bring you a selection of photo highlights from around the world, including pranksters in LA and the geometric beauty of Islamic buildings Continue reading... |
| Trump victory spurs women to run for office across US: 'Our time is coming' Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:00 AM PST Organizations report surging numbers of women mulling campaigns as potential candidates describe motivations: 'Trump pushed me over the edge' Victoria Oliver has been a police officer for 20 years, the last 10 as a detective, but it didn't take a Sherlock Holmes instinct for her to deduce that it was time for her to run for political office. "The election was so divisive. You can take the easy option and sit on the sidelines and criticize, or you can get involved and try to change things," she said. Continue reading... |
| Rohingya police beating footage: Myanmar government to investigate – video Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:26 AM PST Warning: this footage includes scenes that some may find disturbing In a video which appears to have been shot by a Myanmar policeman and is said to have been filmed in a Rohingya village, security forces are seen striking and kicking two men sitting on the ground. Critics say it is evidence of the persecution and abuse faced by the Muslim minority. Authentication of the footage is difficult as it was purportedly shot in the Rakhine state, where the government has blocked access for aid workers and journalists. But the office of Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi says it is investigating |
| Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan's mother dies in car crash Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:53 AM PST Therese MacGowan, 87, was killed when the car she was driving hit a wall in the Irish village of Ballintogher on New Year's Day The mother of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has died in a car crash in the Republic of Ireland. Therese MacGowan, 87, was killed when the car she was driving struck a wall in Ballintogher on New Year's Day, police said. Continue reading... |
| Myanmar to investigate video of police beating Rohingya villagers Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:37 AM PST State newspaper says police were acting on a tipoff that militants from the Muslim minority were being sheltered in the village Myanmar is to investigate police officers who were filmed beating Rohingya villagers, an unusual admission that security forces may have carried out abuses against the Muslim minority. The office of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's de facto leader, said action would be taken after a YouTube user called Rohingya Blogger posted the video over the weekend. At least four officers have been detained, a statement said. Continue reading... |
| ‘Off the shelf’ bone replacements offer life-changing help to landmine victims Posted: 02 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST Team at Glasgow University are using 3D printing to create tailor-made bone pieces from tissue that will continue to grow when implanted in the body They are the hidden killers that maim or kill more than 4,000 men, women and children every year, in countries around the world. Recently, the challenge posed by landmines has been compounded by the increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). "Every country has its own challenges," explained Damian O'Brien, a programme manager for the international demining agency the Halo Trust, on a visit back to Britain from his ongoing work in Afghanistan. Continue reading... |
| Brazil's men helped to become better fathers to reduce gender violence Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:00 AM PST A project that promotes men's involvement in childcare is changing attitudes with the aim of promoting equality and protecting women and girls Getting men to be active fathers may not seem the most obvious way to tackle gender-based violence. But, according to Gary Barker, CEO and founder of Promundo, which engages men and boys in ending violence against women and girls, policies that encourage men to do more unpaid care work are a vital part of achieving gender equality. "To us, it seemed obvious that we needed to figure out more constructive ways to engage men on this topic," he says. Continue reading... |
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