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- McCain attacks Trump administration and inability to 'separate truth from lies'
- Bosnia to appeal 2007 UN court ruling clearing Serbia of genocide
- Kim Jong-nam: Malaysian police arrest North Korean man
- Adolf Hitler's wartime telephone to be auctioned
- Trump's media attacks play into China's hands, says Beijing press
- German parents told to destroy doll that can spy on children
- World’s first transgender doll to be unveiled at New York toy fair
- Russia denies it's 'disappointed with’ Trump and US relations
- Robert Mugabe could contest election as corpse, says wife
- 'Day without immigrants' protests close restaurants across the US
- GM 'surrogate hens' could lay eggs of rare chicken breeds, scientists say
- Dwight Yorke ‘felt like criminal’ as he was denied entry to USA
- Trump's 'one-state' remarks embolden rightwing Zionists – Jewish and Christian
- MSF inquiry indicates Russia was behind hospital bombing in Syria
- Alpine ski resorts could lose up to 70% of snow cover by 2100 – experts
- Robot monitors in homes of elderly people can predict falls, says study
- Unilever to mount fierce defence against Kraft Heinz after rejecting £115bn offer
- Human remains found on Crete where British man vanished in 2005
- Emmanuel Macron: the French outsider who would be president
- Spain's Princess Cristina acquitted in tax fraud trial
- UK universities urged to tackle rising tide of antisemitism on campus
- Agent Provocateur: the pants that punctured the patriarchy
- Suspect in North Korea killing 'thought she was taking part in TV prank'
- North Korea will reject Kim Jong-nam postmortem result – video
- Theresa May stresses importance of early deal on EU citizens' rights
- Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was honest about her wealth. Today’s It girls? Not so much
- Trump's updated travel ban to have minimal input from national security
- Reclaiming history with Yaa Gyasi and Chibundu Onuzo - books podcast
- Life forms that could be 50,000 years old found in caves in Mexico
- Three people hit by lightning as storms and huge hail descend on NSW
- Let’s follow Ecuador in holding a referendum on tax havens | Letters
- Admiration and courage in the Church of England | Letters
- US defence secretary calms European nerves over Nato
- How have you been affected by changes to LGBT rights?
- This week in patriarchy: resignations, Russians and pressers, oh my! | Jessica Valenti
- Eyewitness: Khazer camp, Iraq
- Pope appears to back anti-Trump protests in letter condemning populism
- 'I will not keep quiet': mother of shot protester is 'silenced' by Iran
- Shooting the messenger: how Trump's media vitriol could ultimately backfire
- Trump's press conference footage in full – video
- ‘Least racist’ Trump tells black reporter to set up his meeting with black caucus – video
| McCain attacks Trump administration and inability to 'separate truth from lies' Posted: 18 Feb 2017 12:46 AM PST Republican senator uses Munich speech to reflect on 'disarray' in Trump White house, saying president contradicts himself John McCain said on Friday that Donald Trump's administration was in "disarray" and that Nato's founders would be alarmed by the growing unwillingness to "separate truth from lies". The Republican Senator broke with the reassuring message that US officials visiting Germany have sought to convey on their debut trip to Europe, telling a Munich security conference the resignation of the new president's security adviser, Michael Flynn, over his contacts with Russia reflected deep problems in Washington. Continue reading... |
| Bosnia to appeal 2007 UN court ruling clearing Serbia of genocide Posted: 17 Feb 2017 07:50 PM PST The country's Muslim leadership is aiming to prove that genocide was so widespread that it could not be limited only to the Srebrenica massacre Bosnia-Herzegovina will ask the United Nations' top court to review its 2007 ruling that cleared Serbia of genocide during the country's civil war, Bosnia's Muslim leader said on Friday. The move announced by Bakir Izetbegovic, the Muslim member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, could spark a new political crisis in the Balkans country, which remains deeply divided along ethnic lines since the 1992-1995 war. Continue reading... |
| Kim Jong-nam: Malaysian police arrest North Korean man Posted: 18 Feb 2017 12:48 AM PST Move is likely to escalate row as Pyongyang accuses Kuala Lumpur of 'colluding with outside forces who want to damage the image of our republic' Malaysian police say they have arrested a North Korean man involved in the killing of Kim Jong-nam, a move which could further entrench an intensifying diplomatic altercation. The detained man, identified as Ri Jong Chol, 46, is the fourth person to be picked up by investigators and the only suspect from North Korea. They other three suspects hold Vietnamese, Indonesia and Malaysian documents. Continue reading... |
| Adolf Hitler's wartime telephone to be auctioned Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:13 PM PST Engraved phone which leader used to dictate commands in later years of second world war has price estimate of up to $300,000 Adolf Hitler's personal telephone, which the Führer used to dictate many of his commands in the last two years of the second world war, will be put up for sale this weekend, a US auction house has said. Originally a black Bakelite phone that was later painted crimson and engraved with Hitler's name, it was found in the Nazi leader's Berlin bunker in 1945 following the regime's defeat. Continue reading... |
| Trump's media attacks play into China's hands, says Beijing press Posted: 17 Feb 2017 07:58 PM PST President calls media 'the enemy of the American people', as Global Times says Trump denying himself an ally on 'ideological' issues Donald Trump's war on the media means he will struggle to challenge China over "ideological" questions such as human rights, a Communist party-controlled newspaper claimed, as the US president intensified his offensive against the press, labelling journalists "the enemy of the American people". In an editorial published on Saturday morning, China's state-run Global Times newspaper celebrated how Trump's early moves in office suggested he would be "less concerned about issues like human rights" – long a bone of contention between western governments and Beijing's authoritarian rulers. Continue reading... |
| German parents told to destroy doll that can spy on children Posted: 17 Feb 2017 08:53 AM PST German watchdog classifies My Friend Cayla doll as 'illegal espionage apparatus' and says shops and owners could face fines Germany's telecommunications watchdog has ordered parents to destroy or disable a "smart doll" because the toy can be used to illegally spy on children. The My Friend Cayla doll, which is manufactured by the US company Genesis Toys and distributed in Europe by Guildford-based Vivid Toy Group, allows children to access the internet via speech recognition software, and to control the toy via an app. Continue reading... |
| World’s first transgender doll to be unveiled at New York toy fair Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:50 AM PST Limited edition doll, which is modelled on teenage transgender activist Jazz Jennings, will retail at about £72 The world's first transgender doll is being unveiled at the New York toy fair this weekend, modelled on the US teenager and LGBTQ campaigner Jazz Jennings. Sixteen-year-old Jennings was propelled to fame as one of the youngest people ever officially documented as transgender. She has signalled her personal approval of the doll, which she thinks sends out a positive message about being transgender. Continue reading... |
| Russia denies it's 'disappointed with’ Trump and US relations Posted: 17 Feb 2017 08:15 AM PST Putin's administration was too busy with its domestic agenda to watch Trump's press conference but is not frustrated with lack of progress, spokesman said The Kremlin has denied that it has grown frustrated with a lack of progress in improving relations with Washington under Donald Trump, saying it's too early to say what course Russia-US ties will take. "We never wore rose-tinted glasses, never had any illusions, so there is nothing to be disappointed with," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday when asked if Vladimir Putin's administration was disappointed with Trump and the lack of quick progress in repairing bilateral ties. Continue reading... |
| Robert Mugabe could contest election as corpse, says wife Posted: 17 Feb 2017 07:51 AM PST Grace Mugabe tells supporters that Zimbabwe's 92-year-old president should be on ballot even if he dies Zimbabwe's 92-year-old president, Robert Mugabe, should run "as a corpse" in next year's election if he dies before the vote, his wife has said. Grace Mugabe accused some ruling Zanu-PF party officials of plotting to take over from her husband and said that if he dies supporters should put his name on the ballot to show their love for him. Continue reading... |
| 'Day without immigrants' protests close restaurants across the US Posted: 17 Feb 2017 06:05 AM PST Day was part of a growing movement of strikes against Trump's immigration policies: 'We're making a statement that this country is sustained by us' Diners in cities nationwide were greeted by locked doors at many of their favorite restaurants on Thursday, along with signs in the window expressing solidarity with striking workers participating in a #daywithoutimmigrants protest. Immigrants stayed away from work to show their impact on the economy, and some restaurants showed solidarity by shutting down their kitchens, or even their entire business. Continue reading... |
| GM 'surrogate hens' could lay eggs of rare chicken breeds, scientists say Posted: 17 Feb 2017 09:24 AM PST Radical plan to maintain diversity of gene pool proposes use of genetically modified chickens as surrogate mothers The Rumpless Game is squawky and, as its name suggests, lacks a tail, while the Burmese Bantam, has fantastically flared leg feathers and a head like a feather duster. But the true value of rare chicken breeds, according to a team of scientists working to save them from obsolescence, is not their decorative crests and plumage, but the diversity they bring to the chicken gene pool. In a radical plan to preserve rare varieties such as the Nankin, Scots Dumpy and Sicilian Buttercup, scientists at the the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute have bred genetically modified chickens designed to act as surrogates that would be capable of laying eggs from any rare breed. Continue reading... |
| Dwight Yorke ‘felt like criminal’ as he was denied entry to USA Posted: 17 Feb 2017 04:24 PM PST • Former Manchester United striker was flying to Caribbean via Miami • Iranian stamp on his passport was the source of controversy Dwight Yorke, the former Manchester United striker, was "made to feel like a criminal" as he was denied entry to the United States on Friday. Yorke said he was prevented from entering the country due to an Iranian stamp on his passport having represented the 'World Stars' in a charity match against 'Iranian Stars' in Tehran in 2015. Continue reading... |
| Trump's 'one-state' remarks embolden rightwing Zionists – Jewish and Christian Posted: 17 Feb 2017 03:15 AM PST President of oldest US pro-Israel group salutes 'new sane era' as Trump's views underscore divisions among Jews and influence of evangelical Christians Donald Trump's apparent readiness to accept a one-state solution to the Middle East conflict that would permanently rule out a Palestinian nation is emboldening rightwing Zionists in the US – both among Jewish Americans and the much larger pool of pro-Israeli evangelical Christians. Some Zionist groups welcomed with delight the president's unexpected comment on Wednesday that tore up the longstanding US adherence to a two-state solution in which Israel would coexist peacefully alongside a fully formed Palestine. Continue reading... |
| MSF inquiry indicates Russia was behind hospital bombing in Syria Posted: 17 Feb 2017 03:45 AM PST Study commissioned by Médecins Sans Frontières appears to show Russia, working with Syria, carried out February 2016 attack that killed 25 people An investigation commissioned by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) bolsters its claim that Russian and Syrian forces were responsible for the deadly bombing last year of a hospital it was supporting in northern Syria. Video and photographic images captured by medical staff, activists and members of the public were pored over by a UK-based research agency hired by the organisation to look into the attack, which took place on 15 February last year and claimed the lives of 25 people. Continue reading... |
| Alpine ski resorts could lose up to 70% of snow cover by 2100 – experts Posted: 17 Feb 2017 05:40 AM PST New study says global warming likely to see snowfall replaced by rain across the Alps, with knock-on effects for tourism-dependent villages Alpine ski resorts are facing the loss of up to 70% of their snow cover by the end of the century, experts have said. Even in the best-case scenarios, global warming is likely to see snowfall replaced by rain across the Alps, according to a report in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) journal the Cryosphere. Continue reading... |
| Robot monitors in homes of elderly people can predict falls, says study Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:30 AM PST In future, sensor networks could interpret movement data and contact relatives or support staff when a person is at risk Robotic movement sensing systems in the homes of elderly people can predict with a high level of accuracy when a person is at high risk of having a fall and send warnings to support workers or relatives, say researchers The US study, carried out in a senior housing centre in Missouri, found that telltale signs, including a sudden decline in walking speed, were linked to an 86% chance of having a fall within the next three weeks. Elderly residents who were monitored by the system, which allowed clinicians to intervene before injuries occurred, were able to live independently for 1.8 years longer than those without the technology. Continue reading... |
| Unilever to mount fierce defence against Kraft Heinz after rejecting £115bn offer Posted: 17 Feb 2017 04:34 AM PST Kraft vows to keep up its pursuit despite Anglo-Dutch firm insisting there is 'no merit, strategic or financial' to a deal Household goods and food group Unilever is preparing to mount a fierce defence against a takeover bid by Kraft Heinz after rebuffing the US company's initial £115bn offer, one of the largest in corporate history. Kraft Heinz, whose brands include Philadelphia and WeightWatchers, vowed to keep up its pursuit despite Unilever insisting that there was "no merit, strategic or financial" to a deal. The US firm's attentions drew fire from trade union Unite, which branded Kraft "predatory" and predicted that any deal would trigger job losses among the two companies' combined UK workforces of nearly 9,000. It said Kraft Heinz, backed by Brazilian private equity group 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway – the investment vehicle of billionaire investment guru Warren Buffett – was out to make a "quick buck". Continue reading... |
| Human remains found on Crete where British man vanished in 2005 Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:31 AM PST Police will examine remains found in well near Malia and liaise with family of Steven Cook, who disappeared on a night out Human remains have been found in a well in Crete, where a British man vanished more than a decade ago. Steven Cook, then 20, disappeared on a night out in Malia with friends in 2005. Despite appeals on UK and Greek television, Cook, from Sandbach, Cheshire, has never been found. Continue reading... |
| Emmanuel Macron: the French outsider who would be president Posted: 17 Feb 2017 05:34 AM PST Centrist maverick, who is expected in London next week, says France has lacked a true leader ever since the revolution At a stadium rally in Lyon, Emmanuel Macron, the maverick centrist outsider who has become a leading contender in the French presidential race, lowered his normally fervent tone and looked earnestly out at the crowd. "I'm a child of provincial France," he declared. "Nothing pre-destined me to be here today." If the French presidential race is often seen as a battle to elect a republican monarch, the enigmatic Macron's life-story is crucial to his bid. The 39-year-old has never stood in any kind of election before and only three years ago was a complete unknown. He has staked his campaign on a personal crusade to reinvent what he calls the "vacuous" and failing French political system, while refusing to be defined by any fixed ideology. Continue reading... |
| Spain's Princess Cristina acquitted in tax fraud trial Posted: 17 Feb 2017 05:16 AM PST King's sister acquitted, but husband Iñaki Urdangarin given six-year jail sentence on charges including fraud and tax evasion Spain's Princess Cristina, the sister of King Felipe VI, has been cleared of helping her husband evade taxes after a year-long trial that has further tarnished the image of the royal family and done little to allay public concern over the apparent ubiquity of corruption at the highest levels of Spanish society. Her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, was sentenced to six years and three months in prison and fined more than €500,000 after being found guilty of charges including embezzlement, fraud and tax evasion. Continue reading... |
| UK universities urged to tackle rising tide of antisemitism on campus Posted: 18 Feb 2017 12:00 AM PST Academics and student representatives voice concern at widespread incidents that are fuelling anxiety among Jewish students Universities are being urged to act swiftly to tackle antisemitism on campuses after a series of incidents in recent weeks – including Holocaust denial leaflets, fascist stickers and swastikas etched on and around campuses – which have fuelled anxiety among Jewish students. Leading academics, student representatives and experts on antisemitism expressed concern at the widespread nature of the incidents, which have affected a number of higher education institutions across the country. Continue reading... |
| Agent Provocateur: the pants that punctured the patriarchy Posted: 18 Feb 2017 12:00 AM PST The lingerie firm – and its celebrity models, from Kate Moss to Kylie – defined a certain kind of 90s feminism. But times have changed Agent Provocateur is up for sale, or in business speak, "open to offers" (there is a space between private equity and lingerie where everything sounds suggestive). It could be just another familiar finance story, a private equity firm taking a boutique brand to the mass market then watching, astonished, as it turns out that the boutiquey-ness was what people liked about. The sales held but the profits didn't. If that were the story, the mystery is how it lasted so long, since the PE firm 3i bought a majority share in the company a decade ago, following the divorce of its founders, Serena Rees and Joseph Corré, son of Malcolm McLaren and Dame Vivienne Westwood. Related: Lingerie brand Agent Provocateur could be heading for administration Continue reading... |
| Suspect in North Korea killing 'thought she was taking part in TV prank' Posted: 17 Feb 2017 08:17 PM PST Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, duped and 'not aware it was assassination attempt by alleged foreign agents', says head of police An Indonesian woman arrested for suspected involvement in the killing of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's half-brother in Malaysia was duped into thinking she was part of a comedy show prank, Indonesia's national police chief has said, citing information received from Malaysian authorities. Meanwhile, Malaysian police said on Saturday they had arrested a North Korean man in connection with the murder. Continue reading... |
| North Korea will reject Kim Jong-nam postmortem result – video Posted: 17 Feb 2017 02:01 PM PST North Korea's ambassador in Malaysia, Kang Chol, tells reporters his country will reject the results of a postmortem carried out on the body of Kim Jong-nam. Chol has demanded the authorities immediately release the body, asserting that Malaysia is colluding with forces intent on 'damaging the image of our republic' Continue reading... |
| Theresa May stresses importance of early deal on EU citizens' rights Posted: 17 Feb 2017 11:48 AM PST Meeting at Downing Street with French prime minister covered range of bilateral issues, foreign policy and Brexit Theresa May stressed the importance of an early deal on EU citizens' rights after Brexit during talks with the French prime minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, at Downing Street. The prime minister said she was "delighted" to welcome Cazeneuve and that they had "worked so well together" when she was home secretary and he was France's interior minister. Continue reading... |
| Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was honest about her wealth. Today’s It girls? Not so much Posted: 18 Feb 2017 01:00 AM PST TP-T was all too willing to show the unInstagrammable jagged seams required to stitch together this patchwork picture of glamour The sad and sudden death of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson sparked a strong national spark of what I call "nostalgia shock", which is that feeling when you look back in almost gleeful horror at what you considered acceptable – desirable, even – in the fairly recent past. What, goes the cry, were we thinking? Fashion is obviously an area ripe for nostalgia shock, when you look back in amazement at what you were wearing in TP-T's era, the 90s: Carhartt cargo trousers and cropped vest tops. What were we thinking? (Fashion magazines exploit a somewhat more short-term version of nostalgia shock, trying to convince readers they should be horrified by what they wore last month and update their wardrobes accordingly.) When Palmer-Tomkinson died, newspapers – who hadn't thought about the once ubiquitous socialite for years – took advantage of the occasion to quote her old columns for the Sunday Times, called, originally, The Social Diary Of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, before it stopped faffing about and was shortened simply to Yah!: "Dressed head to foot in our new Ghost wardrobe, we started off in the Kitchen, the club in Clarence's basement. Being a bit of a superstar, I was provided with security for the night, which meant that a poor girl called Stephanie had to wait outside every time I went to the loo." Continue reading... |
| Trump's updated travel ban to have minimal input from national security Posted: 17 Feb 2017 09:43 AM PST Goal of new order is to bolster original initiative against legal and constitutional scrutiny, rather than revise it in a substantive fashion, say sources Donald Trump's controversial executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries is being tightened up to get around legal and constitutional objections with minimal input from the National Security Council, the Guardian has learned. Related: Donald Trump considers using national guard to round up immigrants, memo suggests Continue reading... |
| Reclaiming history with Yaa Gyasi and Chibundu Onuzo - books podcast Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:40 AM PST The authors of two buzzy new novels, Homegoing and Welcome to Lagos, explore ancient and modern stories of west Africa In this week's podcast we look at two novels which explore west Africa's place in the world. Yaa Gyasi's award-winning debut, Homegoing, follows three generations from the start of the slave trade on the 18th century Gold Coast to modern day America. She discusses the bitter legacy of slavery and the importance of reclaiming your own history. Chibundu Onuzo's second novel trains a comic eye on the excesses of modern-day Lagos through the eyes of five fugitives who become unlikely housemates with a mission to redistribute the wealth of a corrupt society. She explains why humour is such an essential tool in the examination of her country's ills. Continue reading... |
| Life forms that could be 50,000 years old found in caves in Mexico Posted: 17 Feb 2017 05:52 PM PST The bizarre, ancient microbes and viruses found living in crystals in extremely punishing conditions deep in an abandoned lead and zinc mine In a Mexican cave system so beautiful and hot that it is called both fairyland and hell, scientists have discovered life trapped in crystals that could be 50,000 years old. The bizarre and ancient microbes were found dormant in caves in Naica, in Mexico's northern Chihuahua state, and were able to exist by living on minerals such as iron and manganese, said Penelope Boston, head of Nasa's Astrobiology Institute. Continue reading... |
| Three people hit by lightning as storms and huge hail descend on NSW Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:51 PM PST The women were takes to hospital in Bowral and parts of Sydney hit by golf ball-sized hail as a fresh deluge battered the state Three women have been hit by lightning in Bowral and hail battered parts of Sydney as severe storms again hit New South Wales on Saturday. The women, aged in their 60s, were taken to hospital, one with serious burns, the ABC reported. Continue reading... |
| Let’s follow Ecuador in holding a referendum on tax havens | Letters Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:31 AM PST This Sunday, 19 February, Ecuador will become the first country to hold a national referendum on the issue of tax havens. If it is passed, politicians and public servants will have a year to repatriate their money from tax havens or face the sack. It is estimated that $30bn, a sum equivalent to a third of Ecuador's GDP, is hidden away in tax havens abroad. Ecuador is by no means alone. According to Oxfam, a conservative calculation of the money hidden in tax havens worldwide from wealthy individuals alone, not counting multinational corporations, is $7.6tn. Since the Panama Papers, there has never been a better time to construct a global consensus powerful enough to overcome the huge vested interests at play. We welcome this innovative referendum and hope that Ecuador's leadership on this issue will inspire other governments to make bold moves too. Continue reading... |
| Admiration and courage in the Church of England | Letters Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:31 AM PST Your correspondent is quite wrong to conclude that the vote is in any sense a blow to the authority of Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury (C of E synod throws out bishops' report upholding traditional views on marriage, 16 February). I was present and, as part of the often unheard middle ground, was one of the house of laity who voted against taking note of the report. Though there has been a lot of interpretation and claims that this particular debate was about whether the church should endorse same-sex marriage, it was not. There is no realistic prospect of such a debate for some time. There is just too much work yet to be done, even in the Church in England, let alone in the wider Anglican Communion. Make no mistake, it weighs especially heavily with the bishops that if there had been such a vote then there would have been a cataclysmic falling in of the roof. Continue reading... |
| US defence secretary calms European nerves over Nato Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:22 AM PST James Mattis tells Munich conference that America will defend members that come under attack from Russia The US defence secretary, James Mattis, has reassured European allies nervous about Donald Trump's presidency that the US will defend any member of Nato that comes under attack from Russia. On the campaign trail last year, Trump said he would not feel bound by Nato's article five, under which an attack on any one of the 28 members is treated as an attack on all. Trump singled out the Baltic states, complaining that some of them were not contributing a fair share to Nato defence spending. Continue reading... |
| How have you been affected by changes to LGBT rights? Posted: 17 Feb 2017 09:52 AM PST Campaigners have worked tirelessly to secure better LGBT rights around the world. We'd like you tell us about the changes you've seen in your country Social attitudes towards the LGBT community has shifted dramatically in the past two decades across much of North America, western Europe and Latin America – given that just 60 years ago, homosexuality was almost universally illegal. But despite significant advances, campaigners say there is still more to be done and that we mustn't become careless in our fight to secure human rights for all. Continue reading... |
| This week in patriarchy: resignations, Russians and pressers, oh my! | Jessica Valenti Posted: 17 Feb 2017 08:39 AM PST As we obsess over the latest tweet or never-ending breaking news, let's not forget that the new administration is causing tangible harm every day Resignations, Russians and pressers, oh my. We're barely a month in, yet somehow every day feels like four years. If the president of the United States isn't having a complete meltdown during a press conference, then his nomination for labor secretary is withdrawing his name because of an old domestic violence accusation. And there's the whole campaign-staff-in-touch-with-Russians thing. That's all! Continue reading... |
| Posted: 17 Feb 2017 07:22 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| Pope appears to back anti-Trump protests in letter condemning populism Posted: 17 Feb 2017 04:01 AM PST Pontiff tells activists he supports their fight against 'gutting of democracies' in letter that appears to take aim at US president Pope Francis has offered his unequivocal support to grassroots organisers and activists who are fighting for social justice, migrants, and environmentalism, saying he "reaffirms" their choice to fight against tyranny amid a "gutting of democracies". "As Christians and all people of good will, it is for us to live and act at this moment. It is a grave responsibility, since certain present realities, unless effectively dealt with, are capable of setting off processes of dehumanisation which would then be hard to reverse," the pontiff wrote in a letter that was read to organisers this week. Continue reading... |
| 'I will not keep quiet': mother of shot protester is 'silenced' by Iran Posted: 17 Feb 2017 02:36 AM PST Shahnaz Akmali, who was arrested last month, became outspoken after her son was killed in post-election unrest in 2009 Human rights campaigners have accused Iran of silencing the mother of a protester who was killed in post-election unrest in 2009. Shahnaz Akmali's son, Moustafa Karimbeigi, was shot dead in December 2009 during protests after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a second term in office. |
| Shooting the messenger: how Trump's media vitriol could ultimately backfire Posted: 17 Feb 2017 10:32 AM PST The president's belligerent approach to the press may distract from problems in the short term, experts say, but history shows such hostility can end badly Though it was ostensibly called to announce his new nominee for the Department of Labor, Donald Trump's 77-minute freewheeling press conference on Thursday spent little time on the matter. Instead, speaking to a room of reporters who repeatedly sought to clarify when and if Trump staffers had had contact with Russians, he recast the event as a referendum on reporters everywhere. Continue reading... |
| Trump's press conference footage in full – video Posted: 17 Feb 2017 06:47 AM PST Watch the full 77-minute session, in which Donald Trump says he wants to update the people on the 'incredible progress' made in the past four weeks. The president turns fire on the media, calling the industry dishonest and 'out of control'. He dismisses reports of chaos and conspiracy in his administration and claims his team is running like a 'fine-tuned machine'.
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| ‘Least racist’ Trump tells black reporter to set up his meeting with black caucus – video Posted: 17 Feb 2017 02:17 AM PST Jake Turx, a reporter for a Jewish publication, asks Donald Trump on Thursday about antisemitic hate crimes. Trump responds saying he is the least antisemitic and least racist person, concluding by calling the question 'insulting'. Trump asks April Ryan, a black reporter, if she would help set up a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus, members of which the president suggested could be friends of hers Continue reading... |
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