World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Trump says he is considering 'brand new' immigration order after setback
- Hungary 'stoops to new low' over treatment of asylum seekers
- Australia's heatwave continues with record temperatures forecast
- Fake news is 'killing people's minds', says Apple boss Tim Cook
- Mexican marines use helicopter gunship to kill alleged cartel leader and members
- More than a dozen fans killed in stampede at Angolan football match
- 'No crisis' on Greece bailout deal, says eurozone chief
- South China Sea: US reports 'unsafe encounter' with Chinese military aircraft
- Trump presidency poses threat to global economy, warns Fitch
- Epidemic of untreatable back and neck pain costs billions, study finds
- Environmentalists warn of bumblebee's extinction after Trump halts regulations
- Brazil state of Espírito Santo charges 700 striking police with revolt
- Shia LaBeouf's Trump art project closes after becoming 'flashpoint for violence'
- Russia suspected over hacking attack on Italian foreign ministry
- Iranians turn out in force for rallies after call for Trump response
- Four people arrested in France 'for planning imminent terror attack'
- Toby Lanzer: 'Donors are stretched – there are more mega crises than ever'
- 'I was welcomed. Now I work for the NHS': views on Dubs from former child refugees
- First courgettes, now cod: Iceland trawler strike to hike fish prices
- Elon Musk in union spat after wrongly calling Tesla worker a paid agitator
- Trump envoy blocks ex-Palestinian PM from UN job 'to support Israel'
- Boy, 15, arrested after 16-year-old is stabbed to death
- Federal raids in California raise fears for immigrant communities across US
- Australian weather: extreme heat sends bushfires raging across south-east – live
- Unprecedented fire danger for NSW as heatwaves continue across south-east
- China expels South Korean missionaries amid missile defence tensions
- Hong Kong subway arson attack injures 18, three critical
- Car crash puts Poland's prime minister in hospital
- LGBTI groups condemn homophobic comments at far-right Q Society meeting
- Mentally ill man who beheaded bus passenger is freed from all supervision
- EU foreign policy chief tells Trump not to interfere in Europe's politics
- Trump praises Abe's ‘strong hands’ at White House meeting – video
- Lawlessness on the streets of Brazil – in pictures
- Britain’s shameful failure on child refugees | Letters
- Are school beatings a mainly private affair? | Letters
- The week in patriarchy: women have a new catchphrase – persist. And we will | Jessica Valenti
- Iraq war claims unit to be shut down, says UK defence secretary
- Ireland to legalise cannabis for specific medical conditions
- High court to hear legal challenge over end of Dubs scheme in May
- Trump in apparent U-turn on Israeli settlement growth
- How Xi Jinping's global ambitions could thrive as Trump turns inward
- Quipu: the phone line calling for justice in Peru – video
- The walls within: Mexico struggles for unity against Trump
- 'Some fear war, some don't take him seriously': Iranians' views on Trump
- Eyewitness: New York City
- For Farc rebels, peace deal brings baby boom after 52 years of pregnancy ban
- Hans Rosling: 'A kind and constantly curious genius' | Ann Lindstrand
- EU pledges €225m rescue package for the Gambia as new democracy dawns
- A timeline of Trump’s travel ban: what's happened, and what's next
- China U-turn is latest sign Trump may turn out to be a paper tiger
- Congressman booed at town hall for praising Trump – video
- Trump has 'no doubt' that travel ban restraining order will be lifted – video
- Block on Trump's travel ban will remain, appeal court rules – video report
| Trump says he is considering 'brand new' immigration order after setback Posted: 10 Feb 2017 02:37 PM PST President says he believes he will win court fight over travel ban as confusion reigns over whether he will appeal decision to supreme court Donald Trump has said he is considering signing a "brand-new" executive order on immigration, following the court ruling blocking his travel ban on Thursday. The US president said he was confident he would win the court battle over the hugely controversial executive order suspending the country's refugee programme and barring citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, which is currently blocked. Continue reading... |
| Hungary 'stoops to new low' over treatment of asylum seekers Posted: 10 Feb 2017 10:32 AM PST Plans to detain migrants in shipping container camps are in breach of EU law, says Amnesty International Hungary has been accused of "stooping to a new low" after it announced plans to detain all asylum seekers in shipping containers near the border with Serbia. The government of prime minister Viktor Orbán says the measure is necessary to secure the EU's borders and deter migrants coming into the country from the Middle East via Serbia. It has already set up two razor fences on the border with Serbia and is deploying more than 600 soldiers to guard the fence. Continue reading... |
| Australia's heatwave continues with record temperatures forecast Posted: 10 Feb 2017 01:21 PM PST NSW and Queensland brace for hottest February day on record, putting paramedics on high alert New South Wales is expected to experience its hottest February day on record this weekend with emergency services on high alert for catastrophic fire conditions. A state-wide total fire ban has been declared for Saturday as the mercury was set to soar past 40C. Continue reading... |
| Fake news is 'killing people's minds', says Apple boss Tim Cook Posted: 10 Feb 2017 04:18 PM PST Apple chief calls on governments and technology companies to crack down on misinformation in public discourse Fake news is "killing people's minds", Tim Cook, the head of Apple, has said. The technology boss said firms such as his own needed to create tools that would help stem the spread of falsehoods, without impinging on freedom of speech. Cook also called for governments to lead information campaigns to crack down on fake news in an interview with a British national newspaper. The scourge of falsehoods in mainstream political discourse came to the fore during recent campaigns, during which supporters of each side were accused of promoting misinformation for political gain. Continue reading... |
| Mexican marines use helicopter gunship to kill alleged cartel leader and members Posted: 10 Feb 2017 02:41 PM PST
An alleged regional leader of the Beltrán Leyva drug cartel and 11 accomplices have been killed in clashes with Mexican marines who poured gunfire into a house from a helicopter-mounted machine gun. Continue reading... |
| More than a dozen fans killed in stampede at Angolan football match Posted: 10 Feb 2017 02:39 PM PST At least 17 die as crowds try to push their way into ground after failing to gain entry prior to kick off, a state news agency said At least 17 people have died in a stampede at an Angolan football match when hundreds of supporters stormed the stadium gates, a medical official said. The crowd in the northern city of Uíge pushed against barriers after failing to gain entry before the start of the match, state news agency Angop said. Many fell and were trampled, it added. Continue reading... |
| 'No crisis' on Greece bailout deal, says eurozone chief Posted: 10 Feb 2017 09:50 AM PST Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of Eurogroup of finance ministers, says claims of crisis are exaggerated as emergency talks begin Greece and its EU creditors have been locked in emergency talks, after the head of the eurozone dismissed suggestions that the country's bailout programme was in crisis. Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister and president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, called a surprise meeting with other key players in Brussels on Friday afternoon, as Greece and its EU creditors sought to hammer out a deal on the next stage of the country's €86bn (£73bn) bailout. |
| South China Sea: US reports 'unsafe encounter' with Chinese military aircraft Posted: 10 Feb 2017 12:26 PM PST Navy surveillance aircraft and Chinese military aircraft come within 1,000ft of each other near contested reef in apparently unintentional encounter, US says A Chinese military aircraft had an "unsafe" encounter with a US navy surveillance aircraft near a contested reef in the South China Sea, according to the US Pacific command. The two planes came within 1,000ft (300 meters) of each other during Wednesday's incident near the Scarborough shoal, which is claimed by both the Philippines and China, according to Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis. Continue reading... |
| Trump presidency poses threat to global economy, warns Fitch Posted: 10 Feb 2017 08:37 AM PST Ratings agency highlights US president's unpredictability and break from 'norms' of international relations as risks Donald Trump's presidency poses a risk to the global economy, a leading credit ratings agency has warned, highlighting his unpredictability, his administration's aggressive tone and his break with established "norms" in international relations. Less than a month into a presidency characterised by frequent Twitter tirades and an executive to order to ban citizens from some Muslim-majority countries from entering the US, Fitch said Trump posed a threat to global economic conditions. Continue reading... |
| Epidemic of untreatable back and neck pain costs billions, study finds Posted: 10 Feb 2017 08:07 AM PST Costing the US alone $88bn a year, low back and neck pain is widespread and expensive – despite the fact that most treatments don't work Low back and neck pain is an increasingly widespread and expensive condition worldwide, costing the US alone $88bn a year – the third highest bill for any health condition – despite evidence most treatments do not work. Millions of people worldwide suffer from low back and neck pain, most of it unexplained, although some professionals think it may be worsened by sitting at desks all day, carrying bags and general bad posture. Episodes of acute pain are very common, but experts say that medical investigations only make things worse and the best cure is often to take painkillers, exercise gently and wait for the pain to pass. Continue reading... |
| Environmentalists warn of bumblebee's extinction after Trump halts regulations Posted: 10 Feb 2017 09:38 AM PST Order for 60-day pause on regulations not yet implemented includes protection for endangered rusty patched bumblebee, which experts say is near extinction Donald Trump has been accused of targeting Muslims, media outlets and even department stores in his first month in the White House. Now, the US president may have doomed a threatened bumblebee. An executive order freezing new regulations could push the rusty patched bumblebee towards extinction, environmental groups claim. The 60-day pause on all federal regulations that have yet to be implemented – which includes the bumblebee protection – will review "questions of fact, law, and policy they raise", according to the White House memo. Continue reading... |
| Brazil state of Espírito Santo charges 700 striking police with revolt Posted: 10 Feb 2017 07:14 PM PST
Authorities in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo have indicted more than 700 striking military police officers as the federal government sent in more troops in an effort to end a week of violent anarchy that has left more than 120 people dead. The public safety director, André Garcia, said on Friday that 703 officers had been charged with the "crime of revolt". Continue reading... |
| Shia LaBeouf's Trump art project closes after becoming 'flashpoint for violence' Posted: 10 Feb 2017 09:25 AM PST Museum of the Moving Image said actor's installation, where patrons chanted 'he will not divide us' since Trump was inaugurated, posed 'public safety hazard' New York City's Museum of the Moving Image has closed a performance art project involving Shia LaBeouf, citing "serious public safety hazards". Related: 'What's the LaBeouf?' Shia takes on the Nazis Continue reading... |
| Russia suspected over hacking attack on Italian foreign ministry Posted: 10 Feb 2017 04:56 AM PST Exclusive: Italian government official says no classified emails were compromised in attack believed to have lasted more than four months last year Russia is suspected by Italian officials of being behind a sustained hacking attack against the Italian foreign ministry last year that compromised email communications and lasted for many months before it was detected, according to people familiar with the matter. An Italian government official confirmed that the attack took place last spring and lasted for more than four months but did not infiltrate an encrypted system used for classified communications. Continue reading... |
| Iranians turn out in force for rallies after call for Trump response Posted: 10 Feb 2017 06:15 AM PST Iran's president says large crowds at events marking anniversary of 1979 revolution reflect anger towards new US leadership Rallies in Iran marking the anniversary of the 1979 revolution have turned into a display of public anger towards Donald Trump. Thousands of people sympathetic to the ruling establishment took to the streets of Tehran and other cities on Friday to participate in state-sponsored celebrations of the Islamic revolution victory day. Some brought "Death to America" signs and Trump effigies and set fire to US and Israeli flags. Continue reading... |
| Four people arrested in France 'for planning imminent terror attack' Posted: 10 Feb 2017 04:34 AM PST Those held in Montpellier include a 20-year-old man and his girlfriend, 16. All are suspected of planning an assault on Paris Four people have been arrested in and around the southern French city of Montpellier on suspicion of planning an imminent terrorist attack in France. Police and judicial sources said those in custody included a 20-year-old man and his 16-year-old girlfriend, both known to authorites for connections with radical Islam, and said the attack had been due to take place in Paris. Continue reading... |
| Toby Lanzer: 'Donors are stretched – there are more mega crises than ever' Posted: 11 Feb 2017 01:00 AM PST As he prepares to leave Africa for Afghanistan, the UN assistant secretary general dismisses the idea of donor fatigue, arguing aid is the 'smart thing to do' Explaining the complex roots of northern Nigeria's Boko Haram insurgency, and the acute food crisis that has brought the region to the brink of famine, Toby Lanzer pauses before turning to a seemingly unrelated anecdote about the Irish republican leader Gerry Adams. "He was at a town hall meeting last year in a village on the Irish border when he announced at one stage, 'I want to underline that I was never in the IRA' – and a fellow his age popped up out of his seat and asked: 'Why not, we all were?'" Continue reading... |
| 'I was welcomed. Now I work for the NHS': views on Dubs from former child refugees Posted: 11 Feb 2017 12:00 AM PST As the government plans to end the scheme for child refugees in Europe, we speak to people who came to the UK as children for sanctuary The Dubs scheme, offering a safe haven for thousands of vulnerable lone child refugees in Europe, is set to end, causing widespread anger. Only 350 children came to Britain through the initiative conceded by David Cameron in May last year, despite initial suggestions that thousands would be helped. The archbishop of Canterbury said he was "shocked" at the decision, and Yvette Cooper, the former Labour shadow home secretary, described it as "shameful". Continue reading... |
| First courgettes, now cod: Iceland trawler strike to hike fish prices Posted: 10 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST UK consumers face higher prices for cod and haddock as fishermen dispute halts imports and costs jobs at British suppliers The price of a fish supper could rise in the coming weeks as a strike by Icelandic fishermen threatens the UK's supply of fresh cod and haddock. The dispute, which has been fuelled by currency swings following the Brexit vote, has now started to affect British fish industry jobs, with business owners warning consumers that price hikes could be on the horizon. The news threatens a further hit to consumers' pockets as poor weather in Spain has caused a spike in lettuce, broccoli and aubergine prices. Continue reading... |
| Elon Musk in union spat after wrongly calling Tesla worker a paid agitator Posted: 10 Feb 2017 10:10 PM PST Spotlight thrown on long hours and injuries as employee speaks up and United Automobile Workers union saying it has been approached to organise plant The United Automobile Workers union has said it was approached by workers at the Tesla assembly plant in Fremont, California – rejecting a charge by the Elon Musk that a worker who publicly criticised the company was on the UAW payroll. The move to organise at the electric car factory shines an unwelcome spotlight on allegations of long hours, mandatory overtime and preventable injuries at a time when Tesla is accelerating production to meet ambitious targets. Continue reading... |
| Trump envoy blocks ex-Palestinian PM from UN job 'to support Israel' Posted: 10 Feb 2017 09:05 PM PST Nikki Haley, US ambassador to United Nations, rejects choice of Salam Fayyad as Libya peace broker and declares UN 'biased to the detriment of our allies' The United States has blocked the appointment of the former Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad as UN envoy to Libya. Donald Trump's UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, said in a statement that she did not "support the signal this appointment would send within the United Nations" where the state of Palestine does not have full membership. Continue reading... |
| Boy, 15, arrested after 16-year-old is stabbed to death Posted: 11 Feb 2017 12:43 AM PST Teenager is being held on suspicion of murder after victim dies in hospital following assault in Leeds A 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a teenager was stabbed to death in Leeds. West Yorkshire police found a 16-year-old boy with a stab wound after being called to reports of an assault in Harehills Lane at about 3.45pm on Friday. The boy was taken to hospital but died shortly afterwards. Continue reading... |
| Federal raids in California raise fears for immigrant communities across US Posted: 10 Feb 2017 06:45 PM PST Immigration officials describe 'routine' raids and arrests planned under Obama, but attorneys and activists say circumstances on the ground remain unclear Federal officers detained more than 160 people in raids around the Los Angeles area this week, raising fears in immigrant communities around the country as parallel operations swept up scores more around the country. On Friday, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officials confirmed five-day "surge operations" in south-eastern states and southern California, saying that the majority of the people arrested were men with prior criminal convictions. Officials described the raids as "routine" and said they would have final statistics about how many people were arrested on Monday. Continue reading... |
| Australian weather: extreme heat sends bushfires raging across south-east – live Posted: 10 Feb 2017 10:58 PM PST Mercury to surge past 40C across parts of NSW as emergency services battle 49 blazes and warn Sunday's conditions will be 'as bad as it gets'. Follow all the developments as they happen
That's it from the blog today. The temperatures are starting to dip slightly across south-east Australia, thankfully, although Western Sydney and the Hunter Valley are still both enduring more than 40C at 5.30pm. The soaring temperatures have broken records in NSW and the ACT. Firefighters continue to battle blazes across NSW, but the focus now turns to tomorrow. The rural fire service has issued dire warnings about the fire danger ratings on Sunday, and say the conditions will be worse than those experienced during the Black Saturday fires in 2009.
Sad news out of Queensland. A dog has died after being tied up with no access to shade or water in a Hervey Bay backyard. RSPCA has pleaded with pet owners to look after animals during the heatwave, which is mainly affecting the south of the state. A neighbour contacted the RSPCA after noticing the dog had died in the backyard at Urangan on Saturday morning while tethered on a rope. ☀️Please remember your pets this #weekend! As the temperatures skyrocket in #Queensland re… https://t.co/PfL3iqNLv2 pic.twitter.com/u2eVa4a2qj Continue reading... |
| Unprecedented fire danger for NSW as heatwaves continue across south-east Posted: 10 Feb 2017 11:11 PM PST Parts of Western Sydney reached 47C on Saturday, including Penrith, which experienced its hottest day on record Firefighters are warning Sunday will present an unprecedented fire danger for New South Wales, as the prolonged heatwave creates conditions worse than Black Saturday. The heatwave across south-east Australia continued to break records on Saturday. Parts of Western Sydney reached 47C on Saturday afternoon, including Penrith, which experienced its hottest day on record. Continue reading... |
| China expels South Korean missionaries amid missile defence tensions Posted: 10 Feb 2017 09:43 PM PST Beijing believed to be retaliating against Seoul's plan to host Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system of the US military China has expelled 32 South Korean Christian missionaries, a Seoul official has said, amid diplomatic tension between the two countries over the planned deployment of a US missile defence system. The 32 were based in China's northeastern Yanji region near the border with North Korea, many of whom had worked there more than a decade, South Korean media has reported. Continue reading... |
| Hong Kong subway arson attack injures 18, three critical Posted: 10 Feb 2017 08:33 PM PST Police rule out possibility of it being a terrorist attack and arrested one man for the crime Hong Kong police said 18 people were injured in an arson attack on a subway train during evening rush hour, with one man arrested. Three people were in a critical condition after the incident at 7.15pm o nFriday, while police said they had seized suspected liquid fire accelerants from the scene. Police ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack and said the man acted alone. Investigators were looking into his mental condition. Continue reading... |
| Car crash puts Poland's prime minister in hospital Posted: 10 Feb 2017 08:05 PM PST Beata Szydlo flown by helicopter to Warsaw for medical tests, though doctors say she was not badly hurt Prime minister Beata Szydlo suffered injuries in a car crash in southern Poland on Friday and was flown by helicopter to Warsaw for medical tests, though doctors and her spokesman said she was not badly hurt. The accident occurred shortly before 7pm in the southern town of Oswiecim – better better known by its German name, Auschwitz – which is Szydlo's hometown. Szydlo, 53, was traveling in a convoy along the town's main road when another car drove into her black Audi limousine, causing it to hit a tree. Continue reading... |
| LGBTI groups condemn homophobic comments at far-right Q Society meeting Posted: 10 Feb 2017 06:50 PM PST Comments by Larry Pickering and Ross Cameron outrage gay rights activists, who say jokes about throwing homosexuals to their deaths are 'not conceptual' Gay rights activists have hit out at homophobic comments uttered at a meeting of the far-right Q Society this week, saying jokes about the murder of homosexuals were not funny and "not conceptual" given Australia's recent history. The cartoonist Larry Pickering and the former Liberal MP and Sky News commentator Ross Cameron caused outrage through their speeches to the Q Society in Sydney on Thursday. Continue reading... |
| Mentally ill man who beheaded bus passenger is freed from all supervision Posted: 10 Feb 2017 06:37 PM PST Will Baker, formerly known as Vince Li, was found not criminally responsible for 2008 killing in Canada and has now been given absolute discharge A Canadian man who was found not criminally responsible for beheading and cannibalising a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus has been granted freedom from all supervision. Manitoba's Criminal Code Review Board announced it had given Will Baker, formerly known as Vince Li, an absolute discharge, meaning he is longer subject to monitoring. Continue reading... |
| EU foreign policy chief tells Trump not to interfere in Europe's politics Posted: 10 Feb 2017 02:56 PM PST Federica Mogherini, visiting Washington, says US president should 'deal with America first' as she hears administration voices criticizing European Union The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, has warned the Trump administration not to interfere in European politics, advising it to "deal with America first". Speaking during a two-day visit to Washington, Mogherini did not make specific accusations but said that she sometimes heard voices in the new administration "saying the European Union is not necessarily a good idea. Inviting us to dismantle what we have managed to build and which has brought us not only peace, but also economic strength." Continue reading... |
| Trump praises Abe's ‘strong hands’ at White House meeting – video Posted: 10 Feb 2017 11:59 AM PST Donald Trump praised Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe's 'strong hands' as they met for talks in Washington on Friday. The two leaders held a joint news conference, where the US president reiterated America's commitment to Japan's security. Trump and Abe were to fly to Palm Beach, Florida, later the same day for a weekend stay at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort Continue reading... |
| Lawlessness on the streets of Brazil – in pictures Posted: 10 Feb 2017 11:50 AM PST Brazil's south-eastern state of Espirito Santo is grappling with a strike by police that has resulted in a week of violence which has left more than 120 people dead – a toll six times the homicide rate in the state last year. Security duties have now been transferred to the military in an attempt to resolve the crisis. |
| Britain’s shameful failure on child refugees | Letters Posted: 10 Feb 2017 11:25 AM PST The government's inhumanity to lone child refugees shown by closing down the Dubs scheme and withdrawing from the Dublin convention represents a dark day for human rights (PM accused of closing the door on child refugees, 9 February). It is also a dark day for parliamentary democracy, as these actions must be viewed in a wider context of the ease with which the government received parliamentary backing from Conservative and Labour MPs for triggering article 50, even in the face of the very close referendum result and the high court judgment backing parliamentary scrutiny. The message is clear: back "leave", support the "voice of the people" – "Let's get back control of our borders" – and strengthen Theresa May's negotiating hand in Europe. Outside of the UK "Brexit" has already given succour to European nationalist parties, and within the UK to the prioritising of border control, both reinforcing more xenophobic identities. And, as your editorial (10 February) points out, Donald Trump has legitimised this by embracing the same axis of racism. But what has been decisive is the moral capitulation of Conservative and Labour MPs who backed remain during the referendum. It is they who have created the political climate that has made it possible for the government to abandon some of the most vulnerable children on the planet. • It is shameful that Theresa May has decided to renege on the government's promise to bring the most vulnerable refugee children to safety. That the announcement was sneaked out by the Tories just before recess is a disgrace. The UK has taken just 350 lone child refugees, which is nowhere near the 3,000 originally proposed by Lord Dubs. Any claim by the prime minister to be a compassionate Conservative is utterly undermined by the dereliction of duty to some of the most vulnerable people in the world. The government should have been doing far more to support local authorities in helping provide the support and safety child refugees need so desperately. Only this week, a report by the counter-extremism organisation Quilliam revealed how thousands of child refugees, abandoned by countries like the UK, are being left vulnerable to sexual and financial exploitation by human traffickers and radicalisation by groups such as Islamic State that seek to capitalise on Europe's wavering response to the refugee crisis. Continue reading... |
| Are school beatings a mainly private affair? | Letters Posted: 10 Feb 2017 11:25 AM PST Having read Giles Fraser's piece (I too bear the deep scars of a muscular Christian education, 6 February), it seems that the public schools of even the recent past occupied a parallel universe to the rest of us. In the late 1960s and early 70s I attended a state grammar school (Northampton Grammar School for Boys) with a strongly evangelical headmaster, yet corporal punishment was not frequently used. Only the headmaster was allowed to administer it, and then only to the hands. At the same time, I attended Christian holidays run by the Crusader Union and no corporal punishment took place; punishments were extra chores or exclusion from activities. The ultimate sanction would be sending someone home, though this never occurred at any holiday I attended. I also helped at camps run by evangelical Anglicans in the 1980s with similar rules. I have to ask how it is that such different rules seemed to apply in the private school sector when the principles that the schools and holidays were run on were so similar? |
| The week in patriarchy: women have a new catchphrase – persist. And we will | Jessica Valenti Posted: 10 Feb 2017 09:13 AM PST The past few days have given us a reason to go shopping at Nordstrom, re-read Coretta Scott King and celebrate Elizabeth Warren So who else is shopping at Nordstrom this weekend? As the upside-down world that is our current political reality continued this week, the president of the United States spent his time chastising a department store chain for not carrying his daughter's crappy clothes. If that in itself didn't raise alarm bells about the appropriate use of presidential power, Donald Trump then retweeted the message from the official @POTUS account. Continue reading... |
| Iraq war claims unit to be shut down, says UK defence secretary Posted: 10 Feb 2017 08:42 AM PST Michael Fallon says decision to disband team investigating claims against British forces follows solicitor being struck off The unit investigating claims of abuse by British forces in Iraq is to close down, the government has announced, saying it will also greatly reduce similar inquiries connected to Afghanistan and Northern Ireland. Ministers said the decision was made after misconduct findings against a solicitor involved in many of the claims. However, rights groups said it was important abuse was not "brushed under the carpet". Continue reading... |
| Ireland to legalise cannabis for specific medical conditions Posted: 10 Feb 2017 06:20 AM PST Patients with multiple sclerosis, severe epilepsy, or undergoing chemotherapy could be given drug despite safety fears Ireland is set to legalise the use of cannabis for treating specific medical conditions, after a report commissioned by the government said the drug could be given to some patients with certain illnesses. The Irish health minister, Simon Harris, said he would support the use of medical cannabis "where patients have not responded to other treatments and there is some evidence that cannabis may be effective". Continue reading... |
| High court to hear legal challenge over end of Dubs scheme in May Posted: 10 Feb 2017 05:13 AM PST Challenge against Amber Rudd's decision to cap resettlement of lone child refugees in the UK being brought by Help Refugees A high court challenge to Amber Rudd's decision to close the Dubs scheme for lone child refugees after resettling only 350 from Europe is to be heard in early May. Mr Justice Holman pencilled in 2-4 May for a full hearing of the case, saying he was "very, very determined" the case should move forward as fast as it reasonably could. Continue reading... |
| Trump in apparent U-turn on Israeli settlement growth Posted: 10 Feb 2017 04:33 AM PST US president quoted by Israeli press saying he does not believe advancing settlements in Palestinian territories is good for peace Donald Trump has indicated he does not believe Israeli settlement growth in Palestinian territories is "good for peace" in what appears to be a sharp reversal of comments made by the White House only a week ago. Sowing further confusion over his often chaotic and contradictory foreign policy pronouncements – both during the campaign for president and since his inauguration – the US president took the unusual step of making the remarks to a rightwing Israeli freesheet paper owned by the billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who donated $20m (£16m) to Trump's campaign. Continue reading... |
| How Xi Jinping's global ambitions could thrive as Trump turns inward Posted: 10 Feb 2017 04:25 AM PST As Donald Trump steers the US towards isolationism and protectionism, China's leader is casting himself as a champion of internationalism and free trade. But are Xi's values really compatible with those of the rest of the world? Some call it Xi Jinping's Big White Book; a 515-page, 2.5kg tome in which China's paramount leader lays out his thinking on everything from tree planting to macro-economics; from Karl Marx to the importance of being earnest. More than five million copies of Xi's The Governance of China now adorn bookshelves and coffee tables around the globe, if Communist party propagandists are to be believed, in languages including Russian, Cambodian, Portuguese, Arabic and Nepali. Continue reading... |
| Quipu: the phone line calling for justice in Peru – video Posted: 10 Feb 2017 04:00 AM PST Esperanza and Teodula are calling for justice in rural Peru after being sterilised without consent more than 18 years ago. The Quipu project is their phoneline that allows victims across the country to share their shocking testimonies and ensure those responsible are punished Continue reading... |
| The walls within: Mexico struggles for unity against Trump Posted: 10 Feb 2017 03:13 AM PST The elites implore them to rally around their president in the face of US threats, but many Mexicans have mixed feelings At his taco stand in a Mexico City food court, Ismael Apátiga expresses disdain for Donald Trump and the US president's plans to force Mexico to pay for a border wall. But his antipathy towards Trump does not translate into support for his own president, Enrique Peña Nieto, whose approval rating is hovering at a record low of around 12%. Continue reading... |
| 'Some fear war, some don't take him seriously': Iranians' views on Trump Posted: 10 Feb 2017 02:57 AM PST The relationship between Iran and the US has worsened since Donald Trump came to power – but what do Iranians actually think of America's new leader? Donald Trump has been outspoken about his views on Iran. Throughout his election campaign he criticised the nuclear deal made between Iran and the world's six major powers, including the US. He also said that his predecessor Barack Obama was "too soft" on the country. As expected, tensions between the two countries have grown since Trump has taken office and the US president has attempted to bar Iranians from entering the US, part of a wider travel ban on people from seven predominantly Muslim countries. This will affect notable Iranians like Asghar Farhadi, the award-winning director nominated for an Oscar. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 10 Feb 2017 02:25 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| For Farc rebels, peace deal brings baby boom after 52 years of pregnancy ban Posted: 10 Feb 2017 02:00 AM PST About 80 female guerrilla fighters are now pregnant after years of being expected to put the war before children – even if that meant undergoing illegal abortions The first time Margot got pregnant, she had an abortion. Raising a child would have been incompatible with her life as a guerrilla fighter in Latin America's longest war, she said. "How can you fight the enemy and run from air raids when you're six months pregnant?" she said. Continue reading... |
| Hans Rosling: 'A kind and constantly curious genius' | Ann Lindstrand Posted: 10 Feb 2017 08:46 AM PST Hans Rosling, who died this week aged 68 a year after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, had a virtuosity and flair that brought statistics to life Hans Rosling was a kind and constantly curious genius. He was truly committed to the poorest people in this world, passionate about statistics and dedicated to communicating a fact-based worldview. His knowledge, virtuosity and humour infused his unique data visualisations with a life of their own, encouraging people around the world to engage with facts about population, global health and inequality that might otherwise have passed them by. I first met him in his messy, overloaded office at Uppsala University in Sweden, where he was associate professor of internal medicine, in 1992. He showed me his now famous bubble graph on world statistics on handwritten overheads, and from that moment on he constantly provoked me to think and to become better. Continue reading... |
| EU pledges €225m rescue package for the Gambia as new democracy dawns Posted: 10 Feb 2017 06:02 AM PST Major funding commitment to help 'virtually bankrupt' country shake off legacy of dictatorship, as President Adama Barrow promises better life for Gambians The EU has pledged its support to the new leaders of the Gambia with hundreds of millions of euros, shoring up a country that is "virtually bankrupt" after two decades of Yahya Jammeh's rule. Aid to the Gambia dried up under Jammeh, whose record of human rights violations, along with his habit of pulling out of international institutions and throwing out diplomats, alienated donors. Continue reading... |
| A timeline of Trump’s travel ban: what's happened, and what's next Posted: 10 Feb 2017 10:58 AM PST The battle over the order to suspend travel from seven Muslim-majority countries has evolved rapidly. Where is it now, and where does it go from here? Donald Trump suspends travel from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days and suspends refugee admissions for 120 days. The order applies to permanent US residents, ie green-card holders, as well as foreign visitors. Continue reading... |
| China U-turn is latest sign Trump may turn out to be a paper tiger Posted: 10 Feb 2017 04:49 AM PST US leader has softened on a range of issues. Is he a bully who relents when challenged, or is he learning the limits of his power? Is Donald Trump turning out to be a paper tiger? China's rulers might be forgiven for thinking so after the US president performed a U-turn on Taiwan, but the shift did not come out of the blue. Trump's approach to a range of key international issues has softened significantly since he took office, suggesting a lurch towards conformity and away from disruption. His acceptance of the One China policy, under which Washington does not challenge Beijing's claim to what it deems a breakaway province, was a stunning reversal, contradicting previous suggestions he would pursue closer ties with Taiwan. Continue reading... |
| Congressman booed at town hall for praising Trump – video Posted: 10 Feb 2017 01:22 PM PST Protesters heckled and jeered US congressman Jason Chaffetz during a town hall meeting in Utah on Thursday night after the Republican mentioned Donald Trump in his opening remarks. The protesters, many of whom held up banners attacking Chaffetz and the Trump administration, continually interrupted Chaffetz with chants of 'do your job' Continue reading... |
| Trump has 'no doubt' that travel ban restraining order will be lifted – video Posted: 10 Feb 2017 01:16 PM PST Donald Trump said on Friday that he had 'no doubt' his administration would win its ongoing legal challenge to reinstate a travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. The president was asked about his executive order, which suffered a major setback on Thursday, during a joint press conference with Japan's prime minister in Washington. 'We are going to keep our country safe ... Ultimately I have no doubt we'll win that particular case,' he said Continue reading... |
| Block on Trump's travel ban will remain, appeal court rules – video report Posted: 10 Feb 2017 05:22 AM PST Reaction as a panel of judges rule to uphold a temporary restraining order that is blocking immigration authorities from enforcing President Donald Trump's executive order banning anyone from seven Muslim-majority countries entering the US. Trump calls it a political decision but Washington state attorney general warns the constitution is at stake. Photograph: Saul Loeb/Getty Images 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