World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Trump says US not committed to two-state Israel-Palestine solution
- North Korea killing: man and second woman held over death of Kim Jong-nam
- Canadian professor discovers what could be only footage of Marcel Proust
- UN chief: united Europe essential to keep peace in 'chaotic' world
- Anti-Assad states to meet amid concerns over US policy on Syria
- Anti-Muslim hate groups nearly triple in US since last year, report finds
- Pooping in space: suit could help Nasa astronauts boldly go when duty calls
- At least five killed and dozens wounded in Saudi-led airstrike on Yemen funeral
- Yahoo issues new warning of potentially malicious activity on accounts
- Glimmer of hope for 10,000 refugees left stranded by Australia's inaction
- European parliament passes EU-Canada free trade deal amid protests
- Late-night TV hosts skewer Michael Flynn: 'It's funny 'cause it's treason'
- EU criticised for 'emergency authorisations' of banned bee-harming pesticide
- Canada frees man convicted for 1985 Air India bombing that killed 329 people
- Trump's likely science adviser calls climate scientists 'glassy-eyed cult'
- Pope Francis appears to back tribal land rights in Dakota Access pipeline fight
- Refugees seeking urgent medical care imperiled by immigration crackdown
- Eurovision 2017: Ukraine warned show must go on as organising team quits
- India says children should sing national anthem in schools
- Police who killed Berlin attacker made pro-fascist statements online
- Deputy CIA director could face court deposition over post-9/11 role in torture
- Abandoning two-state solution is 'no joke', Palestinian officials say
- Donald Trump's changed stance on Nato, will he sober up about IMF and WTO?
- Anish Kapoor joins global art coalition in fight against bigotry
- Inquiry into presidential candidate François Fillon to remain open
- Supreme court president: politicians too slow to defend judges after Brexit case
- The fire this time – the legacy of James Baldwin
- Giggs and Neville skyscrapers 'threaten Manchester's heritage'
- Agnieszka Holland: Pokot reflects divided nature of Polish society
- Andrew Puzder, Trump's labor secretary pick, withdraws from consideration
- Samba troupe's political plan for Rio carnival ignites firestorm with farm lobby
- Immigration department and health provider blame each other over Manus death
- Queensland pro-choice MP fears abortion reform doomed
- Bishop apologises for accidentally pressing wrong button in vote
- Where's Gandalf? Photographer snaps wizard at New Zealand beauty spots
- Thursday briefing: Trump's Israel intervention a 'tragedy'
- Bolsheviks capture Kiev - archive, 1918
- India's 'big data' election: 45,000 calls a day as pollsters target age, caste and religion
- Myanmar military crackdown against Rohingyas 'has ceased'
- Christchurch fire forces 1,000 people to flee their homes
- China 'eliminating civil society' by targeting human rights activists – report
- North Korea killing: Kim Jong-nam pleaded for his life, say reports
- Enda Kenny says Ireland will oppose any post-Brexit 'hard border'
- Children's commissioners write to home secretary over end of Dubs scheme
- Church of England in turmoil as synod rejects report on same-sex relationships
- Countries line up to host European Medicines Agency after it leaves UK
- Think different: can advertising defeat ‘alt-right’ propaganda?
- Bangladesh campaign has cut acid attacks | Letters
- MEPs approve overhaul of EU carbon emissions trading scheme
- Women set up a rival to male-dominated northern powerhouse event
- Jakarta governor election likely to go to second round
- North Korea: isolated state with a long history of assassinations
- Eyewitness: Bogra, Bangladesh
- Where the wind blows: how China's dirty air becomes Hong Kong's problem
- Millions of premature births could be linked to air pollution, study finds
- 10 ways to beat air pollution: how effective are they?
- UN rights envoy calls for inquiry into abuses of Rohingya in Myanmar
- Andrew Puzder's downfall shows a flawed trend in Trump’s presidency | Dominic Rushe
- Trump casts aside decades of Middle East diplomacy in one sentence | Peter Beaumont
- The questions Trump's labor secretary nominee Andrew Puzder must answer
- The downfall of Michael Flynn: a timeline – video
- When Andrew Puzder's ex-wife spoke with Oprah Winfrey – video
- William Happer: who is Trump's likely science adviser? – video report
- Michael Flynn was treated 'very unfairly', says Trump – video
- Donald Trump declares the US is not committed to two-state solution – video
| Trump says US not committed to two-state Israel-Palestine solution Posted: 16 Feb 2017 01:11 AM PST Speaking alongside Benjamin Netanyahu, US president appears to dismantle years of policy by saying he is looking at multiple options for peace Donald Trump has dropped a two-decades old US commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel as part of a permanent Middle East peace agreement. Speaking at a joint press conference with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the US president did not rule out a two-state solution but implied his administration had no preference when it came to the final geography of the region as part of a permanent Middle East peace agreement. Continue reading... |
| North Korea killing: man and second woman held over death of Kim Jong-nam Posted: 16 Feb 2017 01:17 AM PST Two more suspects held in Malaysia as South Korean spy chief says apparent assassination was ordered by Kim Jong-un A man and a second woman have been arrested in connection with the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the North Korean leader's half-brother, who was reportedly poisoned by two female assassins as he waited for a flight in Malaysia, police have said. The suspects were picked up separately on Wednesday and Thursday. The female suspects were identified using surveillance footage from Kuala Lumpur International airport, where Kim Jong-nam fell ill on Monday morning before dying on the way to the hospital. |
| Canadian professor discovers what could be only footage of Marcel Proust Posted: 15 Feb 2017 10:00 PM PST Black-and-white film shows man who could be French writer at wedding of daughter of one of Proust's close friends, says Jean-Pierre Sirois-Trahan A Canadian university professor claims to have found the only existing moving picture of French writer Marcel Proust. The black-and-white footage of a wedding cortège filmed in 1904 shows a brief glimpse of a man in his 30s with a neat moustache, wearing a bowler hat and pearl-grey formal suit, descending a flight of stairs on his own. Most of the other guests are in couples. Continue reading... |
| UN chief: united Europe essential to keep peace in 'chaotic' world Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:00 AM PST Exclusive: António Guterres says Europe's ability to keep faith in its unity could be key stabilising factor at perilous time The new UN secretary general, António Guterres, has described the world as "largely chaotic" and said that a united Europe is essential to prevent it succumbing to deepening conflict. In an interview before two critical global meetings this week in Bonn and Munich, Guterres warned of the advent of a particularly dangerous moment in history, drawing a parallel with the run-up to the first world war. Only a renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation could head off the gathering danger, he said. Continue reading... |
| Anti-Assad states to meet amid concerns over US policy on Syria Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:31 AM PST Meeting between the US, France, Britain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and others seen as opportunity to properly gauge American position Countries opposed to Bashar al-Assad will meet on Friday for the first time since Donald Trump's US administration took office, to seek common ground ahead of United Nations-backed peace talks in Geneva next week. The talks on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers meeting come as the Syrian president, backed by Russia and Iran, is in his strongest position since the early days of the civil war – and as Trump's policy on Syria remains unclear. Continue reading... |
| Anti-Muslim hate groups nearly triple in US since last year, report finds Posted: 15 Feb 2017 01:00 PM PST Southern Poverty Law Center credited rise in racist and far-right groups to Donald Trump's 'incendiary rhetoric' and his senior staff of 'anti-Muslim ideologues' The number of organized anti-Muslim hate groups in America nearly tripled last year, from 34 to more than 100, according to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, a left-leaning non-profit that tracks extremist groups. The center credited the "incendiary rhetoric" of Donald Trump's presidential campaign with fueling the rise in anti-Muslim hate, along with anger over terror attacks like the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando last June. Continue reading... |
| Pooping in space: suit could help Nasa astronauts boldly go when duty calls Posted: 15 Feb 2017 01:14 PM PST The Space Poop Challenge sought designs for a system that could collect human waste for up to six days, routing it away from the body without the use of hands Astronauts wear adult diapers under their suits in case they need to pee or poop on spacewalks, but what happens if there's an emergency and they have to stay in their suit for several days? That was the question Nasa posed to members of the public in its Space Poop Challenge, and the winners of the contest have just been announced. Related: Black hole and distant sun locked in slow-motion dance of death Continue reading... |
| At least five killed and dozens wounded in Saudi-led airstrike on Yemen funeral Posted: 15 Feb 2017 03:07 PM PST According to Houthi insurgents and medical officials five bodies were recovered from the scene, mostly women, and that the toll was likely to rise Five women were killed and dozens of people were wounded in a Saudi-led airstrike on a funeral near Yemen's rebel-held capital, according to Houthi insurgents and medical officials. A second airstrike hit first aid workers who had responded to the strike on Arhab, some 40 km (25 miles) from Sanaa, according to the head of the Houthis' media office, Abdel-Rahman al-Ahnomi. Continue reading... |
| Yahoo issues new warning of potentially malicious activity on accounts Posted: 15 Feb 2017 12:17 PM PST Hackers potentially accessed accounts between 2015 and 2016, and the warning comes two months after saying data from 1bn users was compromised in 2013 Yahoo is warning users of potentially malicious activity on their accounts between 2015 and 2016, the latest in a string of cybersecurity problems faced by the technology company. The measure comes two months after the company revealed that data from more than 1bn user accounts had been compromised in August 2013, the largest such breach in history. The number of affected accounts was double the number implicated in a 2014 breach the internet company disclosed in September and blamed on state-sponsored hackers. Continue reading... |
| Glimmer of hope for 10,000 refugees left stranded by Australia's inaction Posted: 15 Feb 2017 12:46 PM PST A federal court verdict exposed how valid citizenship applications from people who arrived by boat were shunted into a drawer and ignored. Now the immigration department has to say what it is going to do about them Kyar was overjoyed to the receive the letter, embossed with the coat of arms of Australia and the letterhead of the minister for immigration and border protection. "On behalf of the Government and the people of Australia, I am pleased to inform you that your application for Australian citizenship has been approved," the missive read. Continue reading... |
| European parliament passes EU-Canada free trade deal amid protests Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:50 AM PST Controversial Ceta deal aims to eliminate 98% of tariffs on exported goods but critics say it will lead to privatisation of public sector The European parliament has passed the controversial EU-Canada free trade deal, while protesters staged a sit-in at the gates of the building in Strasbourg, France. Related: Ceta isn't perfect, but Europe's radical left was wrong to oppose it | Natalie Nougayrède Continue reading... |
| Late-night TV hosts skewer Michael Flynn: 'It's funny 'cause it's treason' Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:45 AM PST Comics, including Trevor Noah and Stephen Colbert, discuss the controversial resignation of Trump's national security adviser and the ensuing fallout Late-night hosts took aim at former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who resigned after just 24 days on the job. On The Daily Show, Trevor Noah joked about Flynn's assertion that he wasn't aware that his calls with Russia would have been recorded. Continue reading... |
| EU criticised for 'emergency authorisations' of banned bee-harming pesticide Posted: 15 Feb 2017 07:44 AM PST Just under half of requests for exceptions to the neonicotinoids ban were filed by industry not farmers, legal analysis shows The EU has been criticised after a new legal analysis showed it had allowed scores of "emergency authorisations" of banned pesticides that threaten bee colonies. The research emerged as the European court of justice began hearing a case by Syngenta and Bayer to overturn the pesticides ban. A ruling is expected shortly. Continue reading... |
| Canada frees man convicted for 1985 Air India bombing that killed 329 people Posted: 15 Feb 2017 09:17 AM PST Inderjit Singh Reyat, found guilty for making and planting bombs, allowed to reintegrate into society after living in halfway house following release a year ago The only person convicted in the 1985 Air India bombings that killed 331 people has been freed, according to Canada's parole board. Inderjit Singh Reyat had been ordered to live at a halfway house following his release from prison one year ago, after serving two decades behind bars. Continue reading... |
| Trump's likely science adviser calls climate scientists 'glassy-eyed cult' Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:13 AM PST William Happer, frontrunner for job of providing mainstream scientific opinion to officials, backs crackdown on federal scientists' freedom to speak out The man tipped as frontrunner for the role of science adviser to Donald Trump has described climate scientists as "a glassy-eyed cult" in the throes of a form of collective madness. William Happer, an eminent physicist at Princeton University, met Trump last month to discuss the post and says that if he were offered the job he would take it. Happer is highly regarded in the academic community, but many would view his appointment as a further blow to the prospects of concerted international action on climate change. Continue reading... |
| Pope Francis appears to back tribal land rights in Dakota Access pipeline fight Posted: 15 Feb 2017 07:55 AM PST Pontiff says need to protect native land is 'especially clear when planning economic activities which may interfere with indigenous cultures' Pope Francis appeared to back Native Americans seeking to halt part of the Dakota Access pipeline on Wednesday, saying indigenous cultures have a right to defend "their ancestral relationship to the Earth". The Latin American pope, who has often strongly defended indigenous rights since his election in 2013, made his comments on protection of native lands to representative of tribes attending the Indigenous Peoples Forum in Rome. Continue reading... |
| Refugees seeking urgent medical care imperiled by immigration crackdown Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:58 AM PST Court decision blocking order's enforcement may have saved lives as dozens of patients waited to receive treatment: 'These are not cases to be postponed'
Fourteen-year-old Dhakhil had been so badly injured at an Iraqi refugee camp that physicians thought his leg would need to be amputated. But thanks to a team of surgeons in Boston, the Yazidi teenager will be able to walk again. Continue reading... |
| Eurovision 2017: Ukraine warned show must go on as organising team quits Posted: 15 Feb 2017 06:21 AM PST Organisation that founded song contest tells Ukraine's public broadcaster to 'stick to the timeline' following mass resignations Last year it stole the show with a haunting, politically charged ballad about Stalin's deportation of Crimean Tatars. Now Ukraine risks "nul points" for its hosting of the Eurovision song contest after almost all the top organisers of the 2017 event quit. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has warned Ukraine's public broadcaster UA:PBC to "stick to the timeline" following the abrupt resignation last week of 21 members of the company's senior Eurovision team, including two executive producers, the event manager and head of security. Continue reading... |
| India says children should sing national anthem in schools Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:25 AM PST Government proposal follows controversial supreme court order for cinemas to play anthem before film screenings The Indian government is seeking to extend an order making it mandatory for people to stand for the national anthem before film screenings to also include obliging children to sing the anthem at school. India's supreme court announced in December that all cinemas would have to play the national anthem before screenings and that citizens would have to "stand up in respect" for the duration. Continue reading... |
| Police who killed Berlin attacker made pro-fascist statements online Posted: 15 Feb 2017 02:59 AM PST Germany reportedly considered giving Italian officers an award but cut short plans when pair's social media posts emerged Two Italian police officers who were hailed as heroes for killing the Berlin Christmas market attacker, Anis Amri, in Milan harboured pro-fascist sentiments, according to statements and images posted on their social media networks. Amri, who killed 12 people when he ploughed a lorry into the crowded market, was shot by Luca Scatà and Cristian Movio in the early hours of 23 December. The police shooting was seen as a legitimate act of self defence. Continue reading... |
| Deputy CIA director could face court deposition over post-9/11 role in torture Posted: 15 Feb 2017 04:25 AM PST Attorneys for psychologists who helped design brutal interrogations seek deposition from Gina Haspel, newly appointed by Donald Trump Even as the Trump administration attempts to contain an escalating crisis over its surreptitious ties to Russia, another spying crisis is threatening to haul the deputy CIA director into court to expose her role in post-9/11 torture. In a court filing on Tuesday, attorneys for two CIA contract psychologists who helped design the agency's brutal interrogations for terrorism suspects have asked a federal judge to order Gina Haspel, a career CIA officer recently appointed as the agency's No2 official, to provide a deposition discussing her allegedly pivotal involvement in an episode the CIA has tried repeatedly to put behind it. Continue reading... |
| Abandoning two-state solution is 'no joke', Palestinian officials say Posted: 15 Feb 2017 07:25 AM PST Washington distances itself ahead of Netanyahu and Trump meeting, with Palestinians calling for support from the international community Palestinians have angrily warned the United States against abandoning a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel, after a White House official said peace did not necessarily have to entail Palestinian statehood. As Donald Trump and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, prepared to meet in Washington on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said the only alternative would be a single democratic state for Jews, Christian and Muslims together – or an "apartheid" state that would be "a disaster and a tragedy for both Israelis and Palestinians". Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump's changed stance on Nato, will he sober up about IMF and WTO? Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:07 AM PST A reality check may force the US president to climb down on his 'America first' rhetoric and see the merit of international bodies Donald Trump did not assume the US presidency as a committed multilateralist. On that, partisans of all political persuasions can agree. Among his most controversial campaign statements were some suggesting that Nato was obsolete, a position that bodes ill for his attitude to other multilateral organisations and alliances. Last week, however, Trump stepped back, reassuring an audience at US Central Command in Tampa, Florida (the headquarters for US forces that operate in the Middle East). "We strongly support Nato," he declared, explaining that his "issue" with the Alliance was one of full and proper financial contributions from all members, not fundamental security arrangements. Continue reading... |
| Anish Kapoor joins global art coalition in fight against bigotry Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:00 AM PST British sculptor among hundreds of leading figures producing events for Hands Off Our Revolution collective More than 200 artists, musicians, writers and curators have signed up to a global art coalition promising to stage exhibitions and events confronting the rise of rightwing populism. Leading figures including Steve McQueen, Laurie Anderson, Ed Ruscha, Mark Wallinger, Cornelia Parker, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Tacita Dean have all given their support to the Hands Off Our Revolution movement, with its website formally launched on Thursday. Continue reading... |
| Inquiry into presidential candidate François Fillon to remain open Posted: 16 Feb 2017 01:51 AM PST French prosecutor's announcement over investigation into fake work allegations is fresh blow to ex-prime minister's campaign France's financial prosecutor has announced that an investigation into fake work allegations surrounding presidential candidate François Fillon will remain open, in a new blow to the ex-prime minister's campaign. A three-week-old scandal over hundreds of thousands of euros in taxpayers' money that his wife was paid for work she may not have done has cost conservative Fillon his status as favourite to win the French presidency in May. Continue reading... |
| Supreme court president: politicians too slow to defend judges after Brexit case Posted: 16 Feb 2017 01:25 AM PST Lord Neuberger says some of vitriol aimed at judges after they ruled against the government 'undermined rule of law' Britain's top judge has spoken out about media attacks on the judiciary and the failure of politicians to stand up for judges after the Brexit court challenge. Lord Neuberger, the president of the supreme court, said some of the vitriol directed at the high court judges after they ruled against the government in November was "undermining the rule of law". Continue reading... |
| The fire this time – the legacy of James Baldwin Posted: 15 Feb 2017 06:33 AM PST His work fell foul of civil-rights-era binary racial and sexual politics but, as a new film shows, now Baldwin's ideas are used to explain everything from Trump to Black Lives Matter In the opening to his 1962 New Yorker essay Letter from a Region in My Mind, James Baldwin remembers walking around his neighbourhood of Harlem as a 14-year-old, wondering if his fate would trap him there. "What I saw around me that summer in Harlem was what I had always seen," he wrote. "Nothing had changed." More than 60 years on, Baldwin's words and philosophy have travelled thousands of miles from 110th street. His public image has been on a journey, from literary sensation with his debut novel Go Tell It on the Mountain in 1952 to his searing non-fiction work in the 60s that saw him revered as one of America's most prominent public intellectuals. Thirty years since he died of stomach cancer in 1987, an expat in the south of France, there is reinvigorated interest in Baldwin and his ideas. February sees the release of I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary by Haitian director Raoul Peck that takes Baldwin's final, unfinished project – a book about the lives and murders of his friends Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers – as a starting point, before analysing Baldwin's sometimes strained and difficult relationship with the civil rights movement. In March, Taschen will publish a special edition of The Fire Next Time with images from Life magazine photographer Steve Schapiro. Peck's film is the latest in a string of events and retrospectives that have put Baldwin back in the public imagination. The ball began rolling in 2014 with Columbia University's year-long programme pegged to his 90th birthday. Since then, there have been film festivals, exhibitions dedicated to Baldwin, and musical theatre inspired by his writing. As the Black Lives Matter protests unfolded around the US, there was a collection of writing – including an entry from the Pulitzer winner Isabel Wilkerson – which took inspiration from Baldwin. His work has been used to explain everything from Trump to Dylann Roof and the Charleston church shooting. Then, in 2015, came Ta-Nehisi Coates's bestseller turned must-read commentary on contemporary race relations in America, Between The World And Me, which was inspired by Baldwin's own essay collection, The Fire Next Time. Continue reading... |
| Giggs and Neville skyscrapers 'threaten Manchester's heritage' Posted: 16 Feb 2017 01:00 AM PST Government heritage agency says £200m scheme, which includes 153 apartments, would erase city centre's history A plan by former footballers Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville to build two skyscrapers in Manchester city centre would "damage the city's historic core", a government heritage agency has said. Historic England said the former Manchester United players' £200m plan would "erase" the area's history and threaten its "precious heritage". Continue reading... |
| Agnieszka Holland: Pokot reflects divided nature of Polish society Posted: 16 Feb 2017 01:57 AM PST Renowned director says she did not intend to create a political film, but that the plot mirrors her country's male authoritarianism The three-times Oscar-nominated film director Agnieszka Holland has said her first foray into murder mystery had accidentally turned into an allegory of the divided society her native Poland has become under its populist nationalist government. Holland said she and the author Olga Tokarczuk – whose novel Drive Your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead inspired Holland's latest film, Pokot (Spoor) – had not set out to create a political film, but that they had inadvertently ended up telling a story about a male authoritarian agenda that attacked women's rights and environmental protection, thereby reflecting the wider reality. Continue reading... |
| Andrew Puzder, Trump's labor secretary pick, withdraws from consideration Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:37 PM PST Puzder, who was due to meet lawmakers on Thursday, faced concerns from Republicans over his personal background and business record Andrew Puzder, Donald Trump's controversial choice to run the Department of Labor, has withdrawn his nomination as questions about his byzantine business interests, details about his acrimonious divorce and revelations that he employed an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper have mounted. Puzder's nomination was ultimately felled by Republicans, who grew increasingly concerned about the restaurant executive's background and business record. Continue reading... |
| Samba troupe's political plan for Rio carnival ignites firestorm with farm lobby Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:00 AM PST A samba school's decision to focus on indigenous people and deforestation at this year's carnival has caused anger among agribusinesses in Brazil It is close to midnight in Rio de Janeiro's north zone, and hundreds of city-dwellers are marching around a hangar-like building, chanting solidarity with distant indigenous tribes and their fight to conserve the rainforest from hydroelectric dams and agribusiness. "Sacred garden discovered by the white man, the heart of my Brazil bleeds," they sing, the words and music echoing through the streets outside. "A beautiful monster steals the children from the land, devours forests and dries up rivers, greed has destroyed so much wealth." Continue reading... |
| Immigration department and health provider blame each other over Manus death Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:44 PM PST Asylum seeker Hamid Kehazaei died in 2014 after contracting a treatable infection in his leg in detention centre Australia's Department of Immigration and Border Protection, and its detention health provider, International Health and Medical Services, have appeared in court blaming each other for the healthcare failures and delays that led to the death of asylum seeker Hamid Kehazaei. Both the department and IHMS have conceded Kehazaei's treatment was "deficient" and his death caused by a series of unchecked and cascading failures. But they have sought to sheet blame for the critical failure – the 30-hour delay in moving Kehazaei to a hospital – to each other. Continue reading... |
| Queensland pro-choice MP fears abortion reform doomed Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:59 PM PST Rob Pyne braces for an unfavourable report by a parliamentary committee on his proposed changes to the Health Act The independent MP leading a push to remove criminal sanctions for abortion in Queensland says he is concerned reforms will be defeated amid opposition from key former Labor colleagues. The Cairns MP, Rob Pyne, said he was bracing for an unfavourable report by a parliamentary committee on proposed amendments to the state Health Act, his second attempt at abortion law reform. Continue reading... |
| Bishop apologises for accidentally pressing wrong button in vote Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:51 PM PST Coventry bishop Christopher Cocksworth apologises after unintentionally breaking ranks in same-sex relationships vote A Church of England bishop has been forced to apologise to the archbishop of Canterbury after accidentally breaking ranks with his colleagues in a crucial vote on same-sex relationships. Related: Church of England in turmoil as synod rejects report on same-sex relationships Continue reading... |
| Where's Gandalf? Photographer snaps wizard at New Zealand beauty spots Posted: 15 Feb 2017 10:56 PM PST Indian amateur photographer Akhil Suhas gains thousands of Instagram followers with his quirky holiday project An Indian photographer has travelled New Zealand taking pictures of Gandalf the wizard from The Lord of the Rings movies with his stunning images revealing the mystical side of Middle Earth. Akhil Suhas, 21, spent six months touring New Zealand and documented his 15,000km journey by featuring locals and tourists dressed up as the wizard Gandalf in every photograph. Continue reading... |
| Thursday briefing: Trump's Israel intervention a 'tragedy' Posted: 15 Feb 2017 10:33 PM PST Outcry as US policy shifts on the two-state solution … Brexit could see English champagne corks popping … Eurovision faces a fright night Good morning, this is Graham Russell bringing you today's Guardian morning briefing. Continue reading... |
| Bolsheviks capture Kiev - archive, 1918 Posted: 15 Feb 2017 09:00 PM PST 16 February 1918: Little by little the counter-revolutionaries were forced back by artillery and by bayonets A report transmitted through the wireless stations of the Russian Government on February 11, announcing the capture of Kieff by Bolshevik troops, contains the following:– Events at Kieff took the following course. At the time when our troops advanced towards Kieff the workmen and soldiers raised a revolt against the Rada. The revolt was successful from the beginning, but the troops of Petliura, after they were detected near Kruti on January 17, blew up the bridges, thus holding up the advance of our troops, and fell upon those in revolt with overwhelming forces. The arsenal was captured by the Officers' Training School troops and Haidamak troops. The Military Revolutionary Committee, which was arrested there, was shot, among the victims being also … Gorovich. |
| India's 'big data' election: 45,000 calls a day as pollsters target age, caste and religion Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:59 PM PST Names with 430 variations, and a registered voter aged 7,982, are among the challenges that political campaigns face in pivotal Uttar Pradesh election Every day since September, the basement of a suburban Lucknow mansion has buzzed with the voices of hundreds of young women, enquiring, cajoling, and occasionally pleading into headsets. "Please, please," one begs a reluctant villager down the line, "I only need five or 10 seconds." Continue reading... |
| Myanmar military crackdown against Rohingyas 'has ceased' Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:54 PM PST Army completes 'clearance operation' which UN says has caused 69,000 people to flee to Bangladesh Myanmar's military has ended a clearance operation in the country's troubled Rakhine state, government officials said, ending a four-month sweep that the United Nations said may amount to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing. The security operation began in October when nine policemen were killed in attacks on security posts near the Bangladesh border. Almost 69,000 Rohingyas have since fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh, according to UN estimates. Continue reading... |
| Christchurch fire forces 1,000 people to flee their homes Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:26 PM PST Blaze destroys 11 houses, sparking local state of emergency in New Zealand's second largest city Firefighters in New Zealand's second-largest city have halted a wildfire after it burned down 11 houses in the outer suburbs and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate. John Mackie, the civil defence controller for Christchurch, said about 130 firefighters on the ground assisted by more than a dozen helicopters had stopped the fire from encroaching further into the city. Continue reading... |
| China 'eliminating civil society' by targeting human rights activists – report Posted: 15 Feb 2017 06:00 PM PST Report details use of torture by Chinese security agencies – including beatings, stress positions and sleep deprivation – to force activists to confess 'crimes' China's human rights situation further deteriorated last year as police systematically tortured activists and forcibly disappeared government critics while state TV continued to broadcast forced confessions, a new report shows. A creeping security state also attempted to codify much of its existing behaviour on paper, giving the police legal authority to criminalise a host of NGOs deemed politically sensitive by the authorities, according to the report by the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD). Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| North Korea killing: Kim Jong-nam pleaded for his life, say reports Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:44 PM PST The dead half-brother of Kim Jong-un said in a letter that his family had 'nowhere to go', South Korean politicians claim Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea's ruler, pleaded with his younger sibling to spare his life after he was forced into exile, according to two politicians in South Korea. Five years ago, Kim Jong-nam asked his brother to withdraw a standing order for his assassination, according to the politicians, who were briefed by South Korea's spy agency. Continue reading... |
| Enda Kenny says Ireland will oppose any post-Brexit 'hard border' Posted: 15 Feb 2017 04:28 PM PST Taoiseach says avoiding fortified border is vital for national interest and adds that Brexit poses major threat to Ireland's economic prosperity Ireland's prime minister has warned that avoiding a post-Brexit "hard border" is now vital for the republic's national interest. Enda Kenny said Ireland would fight against any attempt to create a fortified frontier once the British government triggers article 50 for the UK to leave the European Union. |
| Children's commissioners write to home secretary over end of Dubs scheme Posted: 15 Feb 2017 01:31 PM PST Commissioners for Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland write to Amber Rudd calling for government to do more to help child refugees Children's commissioners for all four UK nations have written to the home secretary, Amber Rudd, urging her to rethink the government's plans to close the transfer of lone child refugees in Europe to the UK. The commissioners, who are public appointees, said they wanted to "express deep concern" about the decision of the government to cease taking children without family connections to the UK. Continue reading... |
| Church of England in turmoil as synod rejects report on same-sex relationships Posted: 15 Feb 2017 12:53 PM PST Clergy vote against report by 100 to 93 in blow to archbishop of Canterbury as he tries to chart course between apparently unreconcilable wings of church The Church of England has been plunged into fresh turmoil after its general assembly threw out a report on same-sex relationships in a rebuff to bishops following almost three years of intense internal discussion and intractable divisions. The C of E's synod, meeting in London this week, voted on Thursday to effectively reject the report, which upholds traditional teaching that marriage is a lifelong union of a man and a woman. |
| Countries line up to host European Medicines Agency after it leaves UK Posted: 15 Feb 2017 12:21 PM PST Regulatory body set to move from post-Brexit UK attracting many suitors keen to take the 900 highly skilled workers As many as 20 EU countries are seeking to take the headquarters of the European Medicines Agency from the UK once Brexit is complete – and with it 900 highly skilled staff. Portugal has joined the competition for the EMA this week, which is fiercely sought after because acting as host is likely to have a huge knock-on effect for any country's medical and pharmaceutical industry. As well as the loss of 900 staff, there is already deep concern in the UK about the ripple effect of the move on the industry. Continue reading... |
| Think different: can advertising defeat ‘alt-right’ propaganda? Posted: 15 Feb 2017 10:50 AM PST The UK government has enlisted M&C Saatchi to help in the fight against rightwing extremism. But can the weapons the ad firm used to win elections for the Tories be adapted to beat racist lies? Earlier this week, a neo-Nazi teenager who built a homemade pipebomb was sentenced to a three-year youth rehabilitation order. The 17-year-old, from Bradford, had posted a message to Facebook on the day MP Jo Cox was murdered, praising her killer. "Tommy Mair is a HERO," he wrote. "There's one less race traitor in Britain thanks to this man." Court hearings revealed that the teenager had been recruited online by the secretive neo-Nazi group National Action, which was banned by the government in December 2016, becoming the first rightwing group in the UK to be proscribed under terrorism laws. In a chatgroup found on the boy's phone, members discussed blowing up mosques and mimicking the methods of the IRA. The charity Hope not Hate warns that National Action has been "emboldened" by the ban and continues to be active, while the government anti-radicalisation group Prevent reports that one in 10 cases referred to it involve far-right extremism, rising to one in four in some parts of the country. Continue reading... |
| Bangladesh campaign has cut acid attacks | Letters Posted: 15 Feb 2017 10:20 AM PST Ian Jack highlights the widespread prevalence of acid as a weapon of violence (The durability of an unfathomable crime, 11 February). He names several countries with a high number of attacks, including Bangladesh. But Bangladesh should not be included. It has had a remarkable success in reducing the number of attacks. I helped to establish an NGO in Bangladesh in 1999 to work on the issue of acid violence and was its first director. As well as providing medical support, we mounted a campaign to reduce the level of attacks. In 2002 we recorded more than 500 attacks annually. Within five years this had been reduced to fewer than 100. The number of attacks has now declined to the point where the NGO is scaling down its activities. Continue reading... |
| MEPs approve overhaul of EU carbon emissions trading scheme Posted: 15 Feb 2017 09:57 AM PST European parliament accused of failing in its commitment to Paris climate deal with compromise measures to reduce emissions An overhaul of a trading scheme to cut carbon emissions by European industries has been approved in a knife-edge vote by MEPs, although environmental campaigners have been quick to denounce the legislation for not going far enough. Under the proposals agreed in the European parliament in Strasbourg to update the emissions trading scheme (ETS), MEPs hope to balance greater cuts in greenhouse gases with protection for energy-intensive industries. Continue reading... |
| Women set up a rival to male-dominated northern powerhouse event Posted: 15 Feb 2017 04:47 AM PST Council chiefs of Wigan and Doncaster plan rival conference after event was promoted without mentioning one female speaker The female chief executives of two councils in the north of England plan to stage a rival "northern powerhouse" conference to one that advertised 15 male speakers but no women. Continue reading... |
| Jakarta governor election likely to go to second round Posted: 15 Feb 2017 03:51 AM PST Racially and religiously charged election campaign has been test of tolerance in Indonesian capital Initial results from Jakarta's governor election, billed as a crucial test of Indonesia's pluralism, indicate the tight race will go to a second round. Several unofficial quick counts show the incumbent governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, and challenger Anies Baswedan are neck and neck. |
| North Korea: isolated state with a long history of assassinations Posted: 15 Feb 2017 03:33 AM PST Kim Jong-nam's death is believed to have been an ordered hit. If so it would not be the first time citizens were targeted abroad Kim Jong-nam was almost certainly murdered by North Korean agents, according to intelligence officials in South Korea, as suspicions mount that his assassination at Kuala Lumpur airport was ordered by his estranged half-brother, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-il's eldest son, was once seen as heir apparent, but fell out of favour in 2001 following a failed attempt to enter Japan on a forged passport, apparently to visit Disneyland. He lived in Macau while his brother took over the nuclear-armed state. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2017 02:27 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| Where the wind blows: how China's dirty air becomes Hong Kong's problem Posted: 16 Feb 2017 12:00 AM PST Last month there were 300,000 doctor's visits in Hong Kong linked to smog – much of which wafts over from mainland China. But in a busy town obsessed with money, will it take a direct economic hit to wake people to the danger? At the age of three, Margaux Giraudon developed something akin to a smoker's cough. Thereafter, she became all too familiar with the inside of her doctor's office in Hong Kong. For years, her father Nicolas Giraudon was told the same thing by doctors: "Your daughter is sensitive to changes in the weather." Eventually she grew so ill that she was hooked up to breathing machines in the hospital for three days, inhaling medicine delivered in a mist. At that point, Giraudon decided it was time for the family to return to his native France. Continue reading... |
| Millions of premature births could be linked to air pollution, study finds Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST Premature births across 183 countries may be associated with fine particulate matter, a common air pollutant, with Africa and Asia especially affected Air pollution could be a contributing factor in millions of premature births around the world each year, a new report has found. Nearly 15 million babies are born annually before reaching 37 weeks gestation. Premature birth is the leading cause of death among children younger than five years old, and can cause lifelong learning disabilities, visual and hearing problems, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. Continue reading... |
| 10 ways to beat air pollution: how effective are they? Posted: 15 Feb 2017 04:11 AM PST From particle-zapping bus stops to compact 'smart' air filters, we examine the methods that tackle the symptoms of air pollution Tackling the causes of air pollution has been on of the themes of our special focus this week, The Air We Breathe. But in the short term, what about the symptoms? We examined some of the most common solutions to see if the claims they make are anything more than hot air. Continue reading... |
| UN rights envoy calls for inquiry into abuses of Rohingya in Myanmar Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST Special rapporteur for Myanmar to push for resolution at UN human rights council meeting next month for investigation into reports of military atrocities The UN should launch an inquiry into military abuses of Myanmar's minority Rohingya Muslims, because the government is incapable of carrying out a credible investigation, the UN's rights envoy will tell the human rights council next month. Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said that she will urge member states to sponsor a resolution for a commission of inquiry when she presents her report to the council in Geneva on 13 March. "I will certainly be pushing for an inquiry, definitely, on the Rohingya situation," said Lee. Rights groups have, over the past few years, been urging the UN to investigate reports of abuses against the Rohingya, a mostly stateless minority. But the calls have become more urgent since reports of mass rapes, killings, and other atrocities began to emerge in October, when the military launched counterinsurgency operations. Continue reading... |
| Andrew Puzder's downfall shows a flawed trend in Trump’s presidency | Dominic Rushe Posted: 15 Feb 2017 02:21 PM PST Trump is learning that while he may love to give the middle finger to (supposedly) liberal public opinion, there are Republicans who will not join in The howls of disapproval started the moment Andrew Puzder emerged from behind the fat fryer as Donald Trump's pick for labor secretary. Related: Andrew Puzder, Trump's labor secretary pick, withdraws from consideration Continue reading... |
| Trump casts aside decades of Middle East diplomacy in one sentence | Peter Beaumont Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:36 AM PST Speaking with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, president says US is not committed to two-state solution, showing alarming lack of understanding In a single sentence, and without detailed elaboration, Donald Trump has casually discarded decades of US diplomacy – pursued by both Democratic and Republican administrations – on the Middle East peace process. Standing alongside the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House, the US president declared himself unconcerned whether negotiations should be aimed at the two-state solution, which has long been guaranteed by Washington. Instead, Trump indicated that it would be left to Israelis and Palestinians to sort out the "ultimate deal" he had once promised he would make. Continue reading... |
| The questions Trump's labor secretary nominee Andrew Puzder must answer Posted: 15 Feb 2017 04:00 AM PST As CEO of the fast-food chain behind Carl's Jr and Hardee's who has repeatedly fought against minimum wage hikes, can he be a voice for workers in America? Andrew Puzder, Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary, is one of corporate America's foremost spokesmen on labor issues. As chief executive of the CKE fast-food chain that owns Carl's Jr and Hardee's, Puzder has lambasted proposals to raise the minimum wage, to require rest breaks and to extend overtime pay to more workers. He has also denounced Obamacare, a program that has made health insurance available to millions of low-wage and moderate-income workers. The Senate health, education, labor and pensions committee will hold its repeatedly delayed confirmation on Puzder's nomination on Thursday. Here are some questions that the committee's members should ask. Continue reading... |
| The downfall of Michael Flynn: a timeline – video Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:12 PM PST The White House's national security adviser has resigned after leaks revealed that he had secretly discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to Washington and then tried to cover up the conversations. The Trump administration had been warned weeks ago that Flynn might be vulnerable to Russian blackmail Continue reading... |
| When Andrew Puzder's ex-wife spoke with Oprah Winfrey – video Posted: 15 Feb 2017 03:32 PM PST Lisa Fierstein – the ex-wife of Andrew Puzder, Donald Trump's pick to lead the labor department – alleged in divorce filings nearly three decades ago that he had abused her on multiple occasions in the 1980s. Fierstein said on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1990 that Puzder threatened her when she went public. Puzder has denied the allegations and has withdrawn his nomination from consideration |
| William Happer: who is Trump's likely science adviser? – video report Posted: 15 Feb 2017 02:48 PM PST William Happer, an eminent Princeton University professor, is tipped to become Donald Trump's science adviser. Happer is a respected scientist in the academic community, but many are concerned about his possible appointment because of his stance on climate change. Happer argues that the role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in climate change has been largely exaggerated and argues that more CO2 is good for plant life and the planet Continue reading... |
| Michael Flynn was treated 'very unfairly', says Trump – video Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:05 AM PST Donald Trump criticized intelligence officials and the media on Wednesday, over what he calls the 'very unfair' treatment of his ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn. He also slammed 'illegally leaked' information about reported contacts between his campaign advisers and Russian officials. Flynn was forced to resign this week after misleading Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the US before the inauguration Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump declares the US is not committed to two-state solution – video Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:03 AM PST Donald Trump asked the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to "hold back" on settlements, during a joint news conference at the White House on Wednesday. The president also said he had thought that a "two-state [solution] looked like it may be the easier of the two", but added that if Israel and the Palestinians found an alternative that they liked more, he would support them. He also commented on the proposed plan to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, from Tel Aviv 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