World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- House Republicans drop rule change gutting ethics watchdog
- Bookseller of Malakal brings words of comfort to war-torn South Sudan
- Bangalore police to investigate New Year’s Eve sexual assault
- Istanbul nightclub gunman identified, says Turkish foreign minister
- Chelsea football fans convicted of racist violence in Paris
- Far-right Israeli minister plans bill to annex one of biggest settlements
- Top Canada CEOs have already earned more than average worker's 2017 salary
- Swedish queen says royal palace is haunted by 'friendly ghosts'
- Two held at Istanbul airport in connection with nightclub attack
- Fiji earthquake tsunami threat passes after 7.2-magnitude tremor
- Apple sued for not adding safety fix to prevent use of FaceTime while driving
- IAAF guidelines open way for clean Russian athletes to compete again
- First Mein Kampf reprint in Germany since war set for sixth print run
- Pakistani activist fears he will be killed like father after blasphemy fatwa
- India's top court bans religion and caste from election campaigns
- Houston's hit-and-run problem: ghost bikes honour 'invisible dead' cyclists
- China calls US 'a shooting star' in history as Donald Trump picks protectionist trade chief
- Coffee from Rainforest Alliance farms in Brazil linked to exploited workers
- Trump's cabinet picks: here are all of the appointments so far
- Bradford MP calls for calm after M62 police shooting sparks protests
- Ivan Rogers couldn't be trusted by ministers, claims Duncan Smith - Politics live
- Republican senators introduce bill to move US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
- North Carolina officer slams female student to ground – video
- Indonesia suspends military cooperation with Australia
- Economists predicted house prices would stabilise in 2016, but the opposite happened
- Largest earthquake to hit UK in decade felt off North Yorkshire coast
- 'I punched and kicked him': victim of Bangalore molestation tells of her fight back
- More than 150 prisoners escape in Philippines after gunmen storm jail
- Mexico allows baby to be registered with maternal surnames for first time
- Victoria authorises duck hunting season despite lowest numbers in 34 years
- Donald Trump inauguration: Bill and Hillary Clinton to attend
- Earthquake rocks NSW town south-west of Sydney
- US rejects North Korea's claimed ability to 'tip' missile with nuclear warhead
- Why inside is out for rural Indian toilets | Letters
- Holy Big Mac: Vatican's first McDonald's opens
- London Zoo keepers begin their annual animal count – video
- Germany outlines plans to overhaul security following Berlin attack
- Rebecca Ferguson: I would sing Strange Fruit at Trump inauguration – video report
- Best photographs of the day: anti-pollution protests and the year of the chicken
- Turkey urges Trump administration to turn back on Syrian Kurdish forces
- Driver killed after car hit by train at Bedfordshire level crossing
- Four Chelsea fans to go on trial over Paris Métro racism
- Turkish police release images of Istanbul nightclub attack suspect – video report
- Eyewitness: Liwa desert, United Arab Emirates
- Kenya's 'panic button' app: shake of phone sends distress signal
- Drought worsens deadly battle between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria
- Roger Marshall's son dabs and confuses Paul Ryan at swearing-in – video
- Paul Ryan re-elected as speaker of House of Representatives – video
- ‘America cannot afford a Twitter presidency’: 115th US Congress sworn in – video
| House Republicans drop rule change gutting ethics watchdog Posted: 03 Jan 2017 09:32 AM PST Following critical tweets by Donald Trump, House Republicans drop plans to remove the independence of the Office of Congressional Ethics House Republicans were forced into a humiliating climbdown on Tuesday after Donald Trump tweeted criticism of their move to gut an independent congressional ethics watchdog. Members ditched their plan to severely weaken the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) at an emergency meeting just before the start of a new legislative session on Capitol Hill in Washington. Continue reading... |
| Bookseller of Malakal brings words of comfort to war-torn South Sudan Posted: 04 Jan 2017 01:00 AM PST In the midst of civil war, a bookshop in a camp for displaced people is a source of education and of distraction from the harsh day-to-day living conditions Juma'a Ali glances fondly at the ceiling-high stacks of titles in his makeshift bookshop, a collection that ranges from Virginia Woolf to Canadian Tax Law (1995 edition). Just over three years ago, carrying as many books as he could bring, he sought refuge in war-torn South Sudan following the persecution that he says he experienced as a Christian, across the border in Sudan's Nuba mountains. Continue reading... |
| Bangalore police to investigate New Year’s Eve sexual assault Posted: 04 Jan 2017 12:33 AM PST Authorities say they have evidence to pursue at least one case as CCTV images of attacks on women prompt anger in India Police in Bangalore say they will investigate at least one case of sexual assault on New Year's Eve as the release of new CCTV footage fanned outrage over an alleged "mass molestation" in the south Indian city. An estimated 60,000 people gathered on two major roads in the centre of the city on Saturday to celebrate the new year. Witnesses and local media reports said the crowd turned unruly and a number of women were sexually assaulted or harassed. Continue reading... |
| Istanbul nightclub gunman identified, says Turkish foreign minister Posted: 04 Jan 2017 12:33 AM PST Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu says authorities know the identity of man suspected of killing 39 people in New Year's Day attack The Turkish government says it has established the identity of the gunman who killed 39 people in an attack on an Istanbul nightclub in the early hours of New Year's Day, as further arrests were made in connection with the atrocity. The foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said in a televised interview that the attacker had been identified, though he did not provide further details. The suspect has yet to be publicly named, although police have released a grainy image. Continue reading... |
| Chelsea football fans convicted of racist violence in Paris Posted: 03 Jan 2017 10:28 AM PST Four men given suspended prison sentences and ordered to pay €10,000 to black commuter pushed off Métro carriage Four Chelsea football fans have been convicted of racist violence and given suspended prison sentences after a black commuter was pushed off a Paris Métro carriage in Paris while fans chanted: "We're racist, we're racist, and that's the way we like it." The incident in February 2015 before a game between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain was filmed by a British man, Paul Nolan, and the footage was published by the Guardian. It sparked an outcry over racism in sport, with politicians and the then French and British prime ministers condemning the attack. Continue reading... |
| Far-right Israeli minister plans bill to annex one of biggest settlements Posted: 03 Jan 2017 06:36 AM PST Naftali Bennett vows to introduce a bill this month to formally annex Maale Adumim in the occupied Palestinian territories The far-right Israeli education minister, Naftali Bennett, has vowed to introduce a bill this month to formally annex Maale Adumim, one of Israel's largest settlement blocks in the occupied Palestinian territories. In remarks made at a museum in the city of 40,000 located outside Jerusalem, Bennett said: "After being here for 50 years, the time has come to end military rule." Continue reading... |
| Top Canada CEOs have already earned more than average worker's 2017 salary Posted: 03 Jan 2017 02:22 PM PST Findings expose 'clubby, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant male world' of 100 highest paid CEOs whose incomes have soared compared to rest of country Minutes before lunchtime on the first working day of the year, Canada's 100 highest paid chief executive officers had already earned more than the average Canadian will earn in all of 2017, according to a new report. CEO earnings in Canada – which rank among the highest in the world relative to the average worker – have soared to record levels in recent years, with the top 100 CEOs taking home an average of C$9.5m ($7m) in 2015, an analysis by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, an Ottawa-based thinktank, showed. Their compensation is now 193 times that of the average industrial wage in the country. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Swedish queen says royal palace is haunted by 'friendly ghosts' Posted: 03 Jan 2017 04:20 PM PST Queen Silvia says it is exciting to share Drottningholm Palace, built on an island in Stockholm in the 1600s, with spirits Queen Silvia of Sweden believes the royal palace where she resides is haunted. "There are small friends... ghosts. They're all very friendly but you sometimes feel that you're not completely alone," Queen Silvia says in a documentary by pSVT. Continue reading... |
| Two held at Istanbul airport in connection with nightclub attack Posted: 03 Jan 2017 08:55 AM PST Two foreign nationals arrested at Atatürk airport as funerals of victims take place across Middle East Two people have been arrested at an Istanbul airport in connection with the New Year's Eve gun attack at a nightclub in the city that left 39 people dead. As thousands of mourners turned out in cities across the Middle East for the victims' funerals, Turkey's Anadolu news agency said the pair, both foreign nationals, were held as they waited to board an international flight. Continue reading... |
| Fiji earthquake tsunami threat passes after 7.2-magnitude tremor Posted: 03 Jan 2017 03:06 PM PST The magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck just before 11am, sparking fears of a tsunami within 300km of epicentre An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 has struck 284km off the coast of Fiji. The quake struck at 10.52am local time, the US Geological Survey said. A Tsunami threat message was initially issued for parts of the Pacific closer to the epicentre according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. The centre said hazardous tsunami waves were possible and could strike the coastline of Fiji by 11.45am. Continue reading... |
| Apple sued for not adding safety fix to prevent use of FaceTime while driving Posted: 03 Jan 2017 02:34 PM PST Couple alleges Apple should be held accountable for daughter's death in car crash with distracted driver, after it patented but never introduced 'safer' FaceTime A couple whose five-year-old daughter was killed after a distracted driver drove into their car is suing Apple for failing to introduce an iPhone safety feature it patented in 2014 to discourage people from using FaceTime while driving. The lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara superior county court, relates to an incident that took place on Christmas Eve 2014, when a driver allegedly using the FaceTime video chat application on his iPhone 6 Plus drove into the car of Bethany and James Modisette. The couple, along with their daughters Isabella and Moriah, were injured in the accident, and Moriah later died in the hospital from her injuries. Continue reading... |
| IAAF guidelines open way for clean Russian athletes to compete again Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:15 AM PST • Competitors who meet strict criteria can apply • McLaren report uncovered systematic doping in Russia The International Association of Athletics Federations has laid out guidelines for Russian athletes who wish to take part in international competition this year. The Russian Athletics Federation remains suspended over state-sponsored doping, with the head of the IAAF taskforce set up to assess Russia's anti-doping progress, Rune Andersen, reporting last month the country was not ready to return to the fold. Continue reading... |
| First Mein Kampf reprint in Germany since war set for sixth print run Posted: 03 Jan 2017 05:18 AM PST About 85,000 copies of annotated version of Hitler manifesto have been sold since release a year ago, says publisher The first reprint of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf in Germany since the second world war has proved a surprise bestseller and is heading for its sixth print run, its publisher has said. The Institute of Contemporary History of Munich (IfZ) said about 85,000 copies of the new annotated version of his antisemitic manifesto had been sold since its release last January. Continue reading... |
| Pakistani activist fears he will be killed like father after blasphemy fatwa Posted: 03 Jan 2017 09:34 AM PST Fatwa issued against Shaan Taseer for allegedly insulting Islam six years after his governor father died in similar controversy A Pakistani rights activist whose politician father was assassinated in 2011 for supposedly insulting Islam says he fears the same fate after a hardline religious group issued a fatwa demanding his execution and the police launched an investigation into allegations he had committed blasphemy. Shaan Taseer said the Sunni Tehreek, a grouping of clerics drawn from the Barelvi movement, was "gunning for my blood and provoking people to take my life" over a Christmas video he posted on social media in which he criticised Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Continue reading... |
| India's top court bans religion and caste from election campaigns Posted: 03 Jan 2017 07:33 AM PST Supreme court rules election results could be set aside if candidates found to be soliciting votes on lines of identity politics India's highest court has banned political candidates from seeking election on the basis of religion, caste or language, in a landmark ruling that has unclear but potentially far-reaching consequences for the way Indian politics is practised. In a split decision, the supreme court ruled on Monday that India's constitution allowed for the free practice of faith but could "forbid interference of religions and religious beliefs with secular activity such as elections". Continue reading... |
| Houston's hit-and-run problem: ghost bikes honour 'invisible dead' cyclists Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:30 PM PST 1,700 cyclists have been hit by cars and trucks in four years, with one in four drivers failing to stop. Personalised ghost bikes are an effort to show people noticed when someone was killed – and give their families some closure "It's always the same story," says Steve Sims, who runs Houston's Ghost Bike scheme with wife Melissa. "We speak to the family who tell us 'My loved one was struck and killed.' It's devastating for them, but when someone gets hit on a bike here, nothing gets done. It happens over and over. You get involved every time but after a while they just kind of blend together." We meet at the tattoo parlour the ghost bike group uses as a base. The garage out back is packed wall to wall with old bikes which have been donated and spray-painted white, ready to be used as memorials to the victims of crashes with cars and trucks. It's eerie to think these bikes will soon mark the site of someone's death – like visiting the scene of a future mass killing. Continue reading... |
| China calls US 'a shooting star' in history as Donald Trump picks protectionist trade chief Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:16 PM PST Robert Lighthizer has urged aggressive approach to China, which on Wednesday decried president-elect's trade 'fixation' Donald Trump has doubled down on his plans to transform US trade policy, picking a longtime China critic and protectionist to be America's next chief trade negotiator. Robert Lighthizer, 69, has advocated for increasing tariffs and repeatedly criticised China for failing to adhere to international trade practices, saying tougher methods were needed to change the system. Continue reading... |
| Coffee from Rainforest Alliance farms in Brazil linked to exploited workers Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST Certification schemes criticised for failing to spot labour rights violations on farms in Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer Serious labour rights violations have taken place at Brazilian farms linked to some of the largest international coffee certification systems, including Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, according to an investigation by Repórter Brasil. The report by the civil society organisation, published this week, found that monitoring systems at so-called sustainable coffee plantations failed to spot irregularities. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Trump's cabinet picks: here are all of the appointments so far Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:03 AM PST From ExxonMobil chairman Rex Tillerson leading the state department to Steve Bannon as chief strategist, here's who Trump has appointed so far The open question of how Donald Trump will govern is being filled in with names of men – and five women, as of early January – floated for inclusion in his cabinet and for cabinet-level posts. Trump's picks reveal a penchant for military brass, political outsiders, Wall Street titans and ... white men. The picks do not betray a particular faith in the value of prior government experience. Here's the list so far: Continue reading... |
| Bradford MP calls for calm after M62 police shooting sparks protests Posted: 04 Jan 2017 01:10 AM PST Dozens march through Yorkshire city after Yassar Yaqub shot dead by armed officers during operation on motorway slip road The MP for Bradford West, Naz Shah, has appealed for calm after protesters brought traffic to a standstill over the fatal police shooting of Yassar Yaqub. Dozens of demonstrators, many covering their faces, marched through the city on Tuesday night with protesters hurling missiles at police. Continue reading... |
| Ivan Rogers couldn't be trusted by ministers, claims Duncan Smith - Politics live Posted: 04 Jan 2017 01:09 AM PST Rolling coverage of the day's political developments as they happen, including reaction to the resignation of Sir Ivan Rogers as the UK's ambassador to the EU
Earlier Sir Simon Fraser, the former head of the Foreign Office, was on the Today programme talking about Sir Ivan Rogers. Fraser said that he worked with Rogers for "many years" and he rejected claims that Rogers was not tough enough when David Cameron was conducting his EU renegotiation. Fraser said: Anyone who knows Ivan, who's worked with him, will know absolutely that he was not someone who was ready to take no for an answer. He was a very persistent negotiator, he showed lots of determination and he worked incredibly hard to achieve the government's objectives. [Rogers] is a highly intelligent, knowledgeable and experienced official and one of the greatest experts, if I can use the expert word, that we have on European matters in the British civil service. I do think that his sort of in-depth knowledge and expertise is a loss as we go into what is going to be, as [Brexit secretary] David Davis himself has said, a very complex set of negotiations. We know that the government did not have a clear plan for Brexit after the referendum; we know that the government has been through a process of gathering information across Whitehall in order to put a negotiating position together, and we know that that is taking quite a lot of time. So that is a matter for concern. When you appoint ambassadors, you don't appoint them for what they believe; you appoint them for what they know. And I think what we need in Brussels is somebody who has experience, who's going to be a real professional negotiator, who will be sitting in a room with lots of other very experienced and knowledgeable negotiators, and who will be hold his or her own in that negotiation. We have someone leading this negotiation who believes in Brexit, and that is David Davis, that is the role of the minister. The role of the ambassador and the civil servants is to give clear, dispassionate, objective advice. I think there are a lot of highly professional people in the civil service, who do want to do their duty and to serve their country. There will be many people I think who will be keen to take this role on. There are experienced people in the Foreign Office, in the Treasury, in the Cabinet Office, who are qualified to do it.
Sir Ivan Rogers, who announced his surprise resignation as Britain's ambassador to the UK yesterday, has used a farewell email to his staff to deliver a damning verdict on the government's Brexit stance, saying that it has not yet decided its negotiating position and implying that ministers are guilty of "muddled thinking". You can read the email in full here. And here is our overnight story. Related: Ambassador to EU quits and warns staff over 'muddled thinking' I don't agree that somehow all [Rogers] did was write a little email to various other of his colleagues. He knew very well what he was doing. Probably also knew very well what he was doing when that previous email got leaked. It reeked ... it gets to a point when a civil servant starts to go public on stuff that you, as ministers, can no longer trust that individual. You must have absolute trust and cooperation and you cannot have this stuff coming out publicly. This is now the second time. It may actually prove that ministers may well be right to say that they weren't prepared perhaps to trust him in quite the way they would have done with others. There are plenty of other civil servants who didn't behave like this. Continue reading... |
| Republican senators introduce bill to move US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem Posted: 03 Jan 2017 05:37 PM PST Ted Cruz, Dean Heller and Marco Rubio unveiled the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act, a plan backed by Donald Trump but likely to ignite protests Three Republican senators have introduced legislation to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's official capital and move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, a plan backed by Donald Trump but likely to ignite fierce protests. After being sworn into the 115th Congress in Washington, Ted Cruz of Texas, Dean Heller of Nevada and Marco Rubio of Florida unveiled the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act. Continue reading... |
| North Carolina officer slams female student to ground – video Posted: 04 Jan 2017 01:25 AM PST A North Carolina school police officer is filmed slamming a student to the ground in a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday, prompting widespread outrage and calls for the policeman to be fired. The footage shows a school resource officer in the middle of a chaotic scene at Rolesville high school picking up the young woman and throwing her to the floor
|
| Indonesia suspends military cooperation with Australia Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:31 PM PST Major general Wuryanto confirms split, but would not confirm it was over offensive material, saying suspension for 'technical reasons' Indonesia has suspended all military cooperation with Australia, reportedly over offensive materials displayed at an Australian military base where its troops were training. The offensive "laminated material" shown at a base was insulting towards Indonesia's five founding principles – Pancasila – Indonesian newspaper Kompas has reported. The Kompas report says a cable dated 29 December, sent by Indonesian military commander General Gatot Nurmantyo, instructed that all military cooperation, including training with the Australian defence force, be suspended. Continue reading... |
| Economists predicted house prices would stabilise in 2016, but the opposite happened Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:55 PM PST Some said prices would fall, but dwelling values rose by more than 15% and 13% respectively in Sydney and Melbourne Soaring house prices have put the spotlight on some of Australia's economic soothsayers. At the start of last year, the common view among economists was that house prices would stabilise in Sydney and Melbourne by the end of 2016. Some even predicted prices would suffer a significant correction, falling by up to 7% in Melbourne. Continue reading... |
| Largest earthquake to hit UK in decade felt off North Yorkshire coast Posted: 04 Jan 2017 12:32 AM PST A magnitude 3.9 earthquake occurred at depth of 11 miles about 93 miles off the coast of Scarborough The largest earthquake to hit Britain for almost a decade was felt off the coast of North Yorkshire on Tuesday night. The tremor measuring 3.9 happened in the North Sea almost 100 miles east of Scarborough at 6.50pm, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said. Continue reading... |
| 'I punched and kicked him': victim of Bangalore molestation tells of her fight back Posted: 03 Jan 2017 10:35 PM PST Chaitali Wasnik was groped on the street in Bangalore on New Year's Eve. Here, she tells of how she fought her attacker and why politicians must stop blaming women I'm a photographer in Bangalore, so I had spent the night shooting the events and parties that were going on. I was returning from work, and had a friend with me who was kind of drunk, so I was trying to get him a cab. There are about 300 pubs on the street I was on. And the night was over, so the pubs were shut down. Thousands of people had spilled out onto the street. Continue reading... |
| More than 150 prisoners escape in Philippines after gunmen storm jail Posted: 03 Jan 2017 08:52 PM PST A hundred gunmen, suspected to be Muslim rebels, kill guard and free prisoners in southern city of Kidapawan More than 150 inmates of a southern Philippine jail escaped after suspected Muslim rebels stormed the dilapidated facility in a pre-dawn raid on Wednesday, killing one guard, authorities said. A two-hour firefight broke out when more than 100 armed men believed to have been led by a local Muslim rebel commander attacked the jail in Kidapawan city at about 1am, jail authorities said. Continue reading... |
| Mexico allows baby to be registered with maternal surnames for first time Posted: 03 Jan 2017 08:40 PM PST Tradition in Latin America had been to give babies two last names — the father's surname, followed by the mother's paternal surname The first baby in Mexico to be officially named with the maternal surnames of both parents has been registered in the northern state of Nuevo Leon. The tradition in Latin America is to give babies two last names — the father's surname, followed by the mother's paternal surname. Continue reading... |
| Victoria authorises duck hunting season despite lowest numbers in 34 years Posted: 03 Jan 2017 07:20 PM PST Hunters allowed to shoot 10 birds each, the legislated maximum, every day of 12-week season for first time since 2014 The Victorian government has authorised a full duck hunting season for the first time since its election in 2014, despite a national ecological survey finding that waterbird abundance is the lowest it has been in 34 years. The state's agriculture minister, Jaala Pulford, said the government would not impose additional bag limits on hunters in 2017, meaning hunters are allowed to shoot 10 birds each, the legislated maximum number of birds, every day of the 12-week season, starting on 18 March. Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump inauguration: Bill and Hillary Clinton to attend Posted: 03 Jan 2017 04:43 PM PST Clintons announce decision after George W Bush reveals he will go to ceremony with former first lady Laura Bush Bill and Hillary Clinton plan to attend Donald Trump's inauguration in a decision that will put Hillary Clinton on the stage as her bitter rival from the 2016 campaign assumes the office she long sought. The Clintons announced their decision to attend the ceremony on 20 January shortly after former president George W Bush's office said on Tuesday he would attend along with former first lady Laura Bush. Continue reading... |
| Earthquake rocks NSW town south-west of Sydney Posted: 03 Jan 2017 01:38 PM PST Magnitude 3.9 quake hits Appin, which has a history of seismicity, and felt by Wollongong residents some 35km away A New South Wales town has been rocked by a small earthquake in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The magnitude 3.9 earthquake hit Appin about 1.15am and had a wide range, which meant it could be felt by Wollongong residents, who live about 35km away, Geoscience Australia said. Continue reading... |
| US rejects North Korea's claimed ability to 'tip' missile with nuclear warhead Posted: 03 Jan 2017 01:13 PM PST
North Korea continues to pursue nuclear and ballistic missile technologies, but the US does not believe it is in a position to "tip" one of them with a nuclear warhead, state department spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday. North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, said on Sunday his nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), raising the prospect of putting parts of the US within range. Continue reading... |
| Why inside is out for rural Indian toilets | Letters Posted: 03 Jan 2017 10:32 AM PST Dr Smita Yadav argues that "inside toilets may not suit Indian villagers" for a variety reasons (Letters, 29 December). What she fails to mention is that, with sewerage disposal facilities nonexistent in the countryside, inside toilets are mere boreholes in the ground, enclosed by shabbily built structures, because that is all most villagers can afford. They are not easy to keep in a clean and hygienic state. No wonder people use these as a last resort. However, residents with properly built modern toilet facilities in their houses are happy, indeed proud to use them. • Thirty years ago, in a village in Tamil Nadu, the organisation for which I was doing voluntary work built an outside toilet block for women hoping, among other things, that it would improve their lives. But the toilets were not used, mainly because the women would have had to fetch extra water to flush them, but also because the women valued their time in the early hours in the defecation fields as it was the only time in the day that they could talk to each other before having to work. |
| Holy Big Mac: Vatican's first McDonald's opens Posted: 03 Jan 2017 09:52 AM PST Fast-food franchise opens on Borgo Pio, just steps away from St Peter's Basilica, despite outrage from some quarters McDonald's has opened a franchise just steps away from the gleaming white marble dome of St Peter's Basilica, giving indigestion to some cardinals and local business owners. There was no fanfare for the 30 December opening of the US fast-food firm's new venue behind a subdued exterior on the picturesque Borgo Pio, just outside the spiritual home of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. Continue reading... |
| London Zoo keepers begin their annual animal count – video Posted: 03 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST Keepers at ZSL London Zoo begin their annual stock take on Tuesday, counting each animal from the 750 different species at the zoo. The Zoo's head of zoological management Mark Habben says the count is necessary to obtain a license, but it also allows an opportunity to share information with other collections around the world Continue reading... |
| Germany outlines plans to overhaul security following Berlin attack Posted: 03 Jan 2017 08:52 AM PST Interior minister sets out raft of measures including deportation centres to make it easier to remove rejected asylum seekers Germany's interior ministry is seeking to overhaul the country's security apparatus and make it easier to deport rejected asylum seekers in the wake of last month's terrorist attack on a Berlin Christmas market. Outlining a raft of measures in an article for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , the interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, said recent terror attacks, as well as reports of cyber attacks on the Bundestag, meant "we have to face the fact that our state has to be better prepared for difficult times than it is now". Continue reading... |
| Rebecca Ferguson: I would sing Strange Fruit at Trump inauguration – video report Posted: 03 Jan 2017 06:59 AM PST British singer Rebecca Ferguson has agreed to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony – provided she can sing Strange Fruit. The lyrics of the anti-racist song, written by Abel Meeropol and first recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939, describe the lynchings of African-Americans Continue reading... |
| Best photographs of the day: anti-pollution protests and the year of the chicken Posted: 03 Jan 2017 05:52 AM PST The Guardian's picture editors bring you a selection of photo highlights from around the world Continue reading... |
| Turkey urges Trump administration to turn back on Syrian Kurdish forces Posted: 03 Jan 2017 04:16 AM PST Turkish government says it expects new US administration to halt supply of weapons to YPG, which Washington has denied doing Turkey has set out its terms for cooperation with Donald Trump, saying it expects the new US administration to halt the supply of weapons to Syrian Kurdish forces – which Washington has denied it is doing. "The United States should not allow this strategic partnership [with Turkey] to be overshadowed by a terrorist organisation," Binali Yıldırım, the Turkish prime minister, said in a speech in parliament. Continue reading... |
| Driver killed after car hit by train at Bedfordshire level crossing Posted: 03 Jan 2017 03:50 AM PST No reports of injuries to crew or passengers on train, which struck car at crossing near Lidlington on Tuesday morning A driver was killed after his car was struck by a train at a level crossing in Bedfordshire, police have said. The incident occurred near Lidlington at about 10am on Tuesday. A British transport police spokesman said: "At present the man's death is not being treated as suspicious. However, officers continue to examine exactly how the car came to be on the tracks." Continue reading... |
| Four Chelsea fans to go on trial over Paris Métro racism Posted: 03 Jan 2017 03:16 AM PST Paris trial over February 2015 incident in which black commuter was allegedly racially abused is expected to last one day Four Chelsea football fans will go on trial in Paris on Tuesday charged with racist violence after a black commuter was pushed off a Métro carriage by a group of football supporters chanting: "We're racist, we're racist, and that's the way we like it." The incident in February 2015 before a match between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain was filmed by a British man, Paul Nolan, and the footage published by the Guardian sparked an outcry over racism in sport. Continue reading... |
| Turkish police release images of Istanbul nightclub attack suspect – video report Posted: 03 Jan 2017 02:56 AM PST Turkish police have released images of the suspect believed to be involved in the Istanbul nightclub attack on New Year's Eve in which 39 people were killed. CCTV footage purportedly shows the suspect during the attack in the Reina club. Isis claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Monday Continue reading... |
| Eyewitness: Liwa desert, United Arab Emirates Posted: 03 Jan 2017 02:30 AM PST Pictures from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| Kenya's 'panic button' app: shake of phone sends distress signal Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:00 PM PST With high crime rates and absence of efficient emergency number, smartphone app developed by student aims to make people feel safe and call for help Kenyan university student Edwin Inganji was happily pursuing his passion – computer science – until he lost his laptop in an armed robbery. Beaten and bruised, and wondering how he could call for help since his mobile phone had also been stolen, Inganji came up with a new coding idea: what about a type of "panic button" app that could be activated quickly and silently, alerting the emergency services of your location and directing them straight to you? Thus was born "Usalama" (Swahili for security), a smartphone app activated simply by shaking one's phone three times, holding down the volume button, or tapping on the emergency icon. The app alerts the police, medical or fire authorities – as well as every other Usalama user within 200m – broadening the scope of help available to the person in need. Continue reading... |
| Drought worsens deadly battle between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria Posted: 03 Jan 2017 06:06 AM PST Mass killings continue across Nigeria, part of a long-running conflict between herders and farmers, with the state seemingly powerless to stop the violence Rachel Amida*, a 52-year-old farmer in Adamawa state, north-eastern Nigeria, points to a small heap of maize laid on the ground just outside her home. "If it wasn't for the herdsmen we would have had much more," she says. "It is making it harder to survive when we are harvesting only a portion of what we sowed." On both sides of the Yola-Gombe road that runs through Adamawa's vast countryside, small groups of herdsmen lead scores of cattle through the fields to feed. Continue reading... |
| Roger Marshall's son dabs and confuses Paul Ryan at swearing-in – video Posted: 03 Jan 2017 11:47 PM PST The teenage son of Kansas congressman Roger Marshall confuses the speaker of the US house of representatives by dabbing during a photo call at his father's swearing-in. Paul Ryan mistakes Cal Marshall, 17, for sneezing when he moves his face down to his forearm while he and his family pose for photographs at the ceremony. Marshall later tweeted that the teenager had been grounded for his stunt Continue reading... |
| Paul Ryan re-elected as speaker of House of Representatives – video Posted: 03 Jan 2017 02:21 PM PST Republican congressman Paul Ryan is re-elected as speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday as the 115th Congress is sworn in. After being presented with the gavel by minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Ryan pledged to protect minority views in the chamber but told his fellow Republicans that unified government was a "once in a lifetime opportunity" that he had dreamed about in the past. Republicans hold a 52-48 advantage in the Senate and a 241-194 edge over the Democrats in the House Continue reading... |
| ‘America cannot afford a Twitter presidency’: 115th US Congress sworn in – video Posted: 03 Jan 2017 02:11 PM PST The new Senate minority leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York, gives his first speech on Tuesday as the 115th Congress of the United States is sworn in. Aiming his comments at president-elect Donald Trump, Schumer says that the Senate will not act as a "rubber stamp" for any policies Trump chooses to pursue. Republicans hold a 52-48 edge over Democrats in the new Senate make-up Continue reading... |
| You are subscribed to email updates from World news | The Guardian. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Posting Komentar