World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Trump attacks 'dishonest media' while making false claims at Florida rally
- Far-right leader Geert Wilders calls Moroccan migrants ‘scum’
- Norma McCorvey, 'Roe' in Roe v Wade case legalizing abortion, dies aged 69
- Pence’s speech on Nato leaves European leaders troubled over alliance’s future
- Australia’s new normal … as city temperatures hit 47C people shelter from the deadly heat
- ‘From bad to worse’: Greece hurtles towards a final reckoning
- Protesters in Barcelona urge Spain to take in more refugees
- 20ft sinkhole swallows car in LA amid California ‘weather bomb’ – video
- Bill Gates warns tens of millions could be killed by bio-terrorism
- Hollywood chooses protests over parties as the stars get ready for Oscars activism
- Asylum-seekers flee US border patrol for Canada: 'Nobody cares about us'
- SpaceX cancels Falcon rocket launch seconds before liftoff
- Tony Blair's Brexit speech 'not helpful', says Jeremy Corbyn
- 'Psychological warfare': immigrants in America held hostage by fear of raids
- California 'weather bomb': at least three dead as torrential rain hits state
- Body of Briton who died while fighting Isis in Syria arrives in UK
- Iraq launches west Mosul offensive as torture videos emerge
- MI6 chief’s role in abduction of Gaddafi foe Belhaj set to be revealed
- Iraqi PM announces west Mosul attack as images of security forces' brutality emerge
- Benjamin Netanyahu expected to face protests in Australia
- Colombia death toll rises as gangs fill vacuum left by Farc rebels
- Malaysian police looking for four North Koreans over Kim Jong-nam killing
- Asylum seekers detained in Australia can keep phones for now, court rules
- Support a free press – don’t judge it
- US lawmakers want North Korea put back on terrorism blacklist
- Fears mount over scale of Buddhist sect sexual abuse
- One converted to Islam, the other went to far-right rallies: a modern tale of two brothers
- Colombia activist killings ‘will not be tolerated’ says minister
- Omar Abdel-Rahman, convicted in 1993 World Trade Center bombing, dies at 78
- Eyewitness: Rennes, France
- A thousand day-old chicks abandoned in Peterborough field
- Mike Pence tells Nato allies to ‘do more’ on defence spending – video
- Mike Pence widens US rift with Europe over Nato defence spending
- Hope for Hanoi? New bus system could cut pollution … if enough people use it
- 'They have their own agenda': Trump attacks media at Florida rally – video
- Trump’s first month of lies – video
- Senator John McCain: Trump administration is in ‘disarray’ – video
Trump attacks 'dishonest media' while making false claims at Florida rally Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:23 PM PST The president returned to the speech lines of his campaign and insisted that the White House is running 'so smoothly' despite reports of chaos and infighting In late September 2016, Donald Trump held a rally in Melbourne, Florida, where he railed against the media and bragged about the size of the crowd. Five months later, elected president of the United States and having arrived in Air Force One to the music of the film Air Force One, he did it again. Related: Chaos in the White House: 'There's never been anything like this' Continue reading... |
Far-right leader Geert Wilders calls Moroccan migrants ‘scum’ Posted: 18 Feb 2017 11:33 AM PST The leader of the populist Freedom party went on to tell supporters to 'make the Netherlands ours again' The Dutch populist leader Geert Wilders sparked outrage on Saturday when he launched his election campaign with a stinging attack on the country's Moroccan population. The anti-immigration MP called them "scum" and said he wanted to make the Netherlands "ours again". Wilders, 53, was surrounded by police and security guards when he made his remarks during a walkabout in his party's stronghold of Spijkenisse, part of an ethnically diverse industrial area just south of Rotterdam. Continue reading... |
Norma McCorvey, 'Roe' in Roe v Wade case legalizing abortion, dies aged 69 Posted: 18 Feb 2017 12:02 PM PST Initially celebrated by pro-choice campaigners, the plaintiff in the landmark supreme court ruling later became a fierce opponent of abortion rights Norma McCorvey, who was just 22 years old when she became better known as Jane Roe in the landmark 1973 supreme court case Roe v Wade, has died aged 69 in her home state of Texas. Her death was confirmed by journalist Joshua Prager, who was working on a book about McCorvey and was with her and her family when she died. He told the Associated Press that she died of heart failure at an assisted living center in Katy, Texas. Continue reading... |
Pence’s speech on Nato leaves European leaders troubled over alliance’s future Posted: 18 Feb 2017 02:32 PM PST Despite the US vice-president reaffirming a commitment to collective defence, the mood in Munich was mostly one of frostiness and consternation Europe's leaders gathered in apprehensive mood in Munich on Saturday for their first chance to weigh up the new US leadership's approach to collective defence in the face of what many perceive as a growing Russian threat. The signs have been mixed, and confusing, since Donald Trump won election last November. He initially signalled warmth towards Vladimir Putin and some scorn towards Nato. More recently he has appeared to backtrack on both fronts. Continue reading... |
Australia’s new normal … as city temperatures hit 47C people shelter from the deadly heat Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:04 PM PST In Sydney's baking suburbs, fans have sold out – and fears about the effects of climate change are mounting Nahid is resting on a bench outside a Target clothing store, her groceries beside her. A cheery, middle-aged woman with a soft Egyptian accent, she is eating a cone of bubblegum ice-cream as though it contains the secret of life. When I ask her if she's enjoying her ice-cream, it takes her 30 seconds to stop laughing. "On the weekend I was sick! Sick from the heat! It was like a virus," she exclaims. "My nephew, he was throwing up from the heat! He couldn't even take water, he was so sick. Continue reading... |
‘From bad to worse’: Greece hurtles towards a final reckoning Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:05 PM PST With another bailout set to bring more cuts, quitting the euro is back on the agenda Dimitris Costopoulos stood, worry beads in hand, under brilliant blue skies in front of the Greek parliament. Wearing freshly pressed trousers, polished shoes and a smart winter jacket – "my Sunday best" – he had risen at 5am to get on the bus that would take him to Athens 200 miles away and to the great sandstone edifice on Syntagma Square. By his own admission, protests were not his thing. At 71, the farmer rarely ventures from Proastio, his village on the fertile plains of Thessaly. "But everything is going wrong," he lamented on Tuesday, his voice hoarse after hours of chanting anti-government slogans. Continue reading... |
Protesters in Barcelona urge Spain to take in more refugees Posted: 18 Feb 2017 10:35 AM PST Tens of thousands of demonstrators march following mayor's call to challenge the government over its failure to accept country's quota of migrants Tens of thousands of people marched through Barcelona on Saturday urging the Spanish government to immediately meet its pledge to take in thousands of refugees. Ada Colau, the mayor of Spain's second city, had called on Barcelona residents to "fill the streets" and march under the slogan volem acollir ("We want to welcome them" in Catalan). Local police said approximately 160,000 people had heeded her call. Continue reading... |
20ft sinkhole swallows car in LA amid California ‘weather bomb’ – video Posted: 18 Feb 2017 08:10 AM PST A minivan collapses into a 20ft sinkhole in the Studio City suburb of Los Angeles, California as the state continues to experience its heaviest rainfall in six years. Another car had previously fallen into the hole but firefighters were able to rescue an injured woman before the second vehicle dropped Continue reading... |
Bill Gates warns tens of millions could be killed by bio-terrorism Posted: 18 Feb 2017 06:00 AM PST Microsoft founder and philanthropist tells Munich security conference genetic engineering could be terrorist weapon A chilling warning that tens of millions of people could be killed by bio-terrorism was delivered at the Munich security conference by the world's richest man, Bill Gates Gates, who has spent much of the last 20 years funding a global health campaign, said: "We ignore the link between health security and international security at our peril." |
Hollywood chooses protests over parties as the stars get ready for Oscars activism Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:05 PM PST The Trump travel ban has led to outcry and rallies for Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, nominated for an Academy Award In a normal Oscars week, Jeremy Zimmer would expect to be wearing his best tux, rubbing shoulders with the biggest stars in Hollywood and grabbing canapés with one hand while holding a glass of champagne in the other. This year he expects to be holding nothing more glamorous than a placard. "Don't get me wrong, I like lobster rolls and handfuls of lamb chops as much as anyone, and more than most," Zimmer – the head of United Talent Agency, which represents the cream of Hollywood, from Angelina Jolie to Will Ferrell – told his staff in an email. "However, this seems like a moment for us, at UTA, to speak up and put our money where our mouth is." Continue reading... |
Asylum-seekers flee US border patrol for Canada: 'Nobody cares about us' Posted: 18 Feb 2017 08:34 AM PST Eight people, including four children, barely made it across the Canadian border as US border patrol tried to stop them and a photographer captured the scene Eight asylum-seekers, including four children, barely made it across the Canadian border on Friday as a US border patrol officer tried to stop them and a Reuters photographer captured the scene. Related: Immigrants flee US for Canada – in pictures Continue reading... |
SpaceX cancels Falcon rocket launch seconds before liftoff Posted: 18 Feb 2017 09:01 AM PST Countdown at Kennedy Space Center was halted with just 13 seconds remaining over a 'slightly odd' thrust control problem, delaying launch until Sunday SpaceX scrubbed a planned launch on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center, citing a "slightly odd" thrust control problem and delaying the return to service for a historic launchpad at the Florida spaceport. "All systems go, except the movement trace of an upper stage engine steering hydraulic piston was slightly odd," CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter. "If this is the only issue, flight would be fine, but need to make sure that it isn't symptomatic of a more significant upstream root cause." Continue reading... |
Tony Blair's Brexit speech 'not helpful', says Jeremy Corbyn Posted: 18 Feb 2017 05:38 AM PST Labour leader urges former prime minister to respect referendum result and focus energy on future relationship with EU Jeremy Corbyn has criticised Tony Blair's call for pro-Europeans to form a new cross-party movement to oppose Brexit, urging the former prime minister to respect the result of the referendum and to put his energy towards building relations in Europe. Corbyn, who was questioned on the comments after addressing Labour's local government conference at Warwick University, said: "Well, it's not helpful. I would ask those to think about this – the referendum gave a result, gave a very clear decision on this, and we have to respect that decision, that's why we didn't block article 50. Continue reading... |
'Psychological warfare': immigrants in America held hostage by fear of raids Posted: 18 Feb 2017 03:00 AM PST After a week of raids and an alarming government leak, uncertainty hangs over immigrant communities as they wait to see what Trump will do next Immigrant communities across the United States are in a state of fear and uncertainty after a week of immigration raids and leaks from the Trump administration that have raised the specter of a mass deportations. The White House denied the most alarming leak – a draft memo suggesting it considered mobilising 100,000 national guard troops to round up and deport unauthorised immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border – was current administration policy. Continue reading... |
California 'weather bomb': at least three dead as torrential rain hits state Posted: 18 Feb 2017 06:33 PM PST More than 300 LA flights cancelled and hundreds of homes evacuated over mud slide fears in one of state's strongest storms in years At least three people have died after one of California's strongest storms in years brought torrential rain and flash floods to the state. More than 100 homes have been evacuated over fears of mud slides near Los Angeles after the pacific storm, dubbed a "bombogenesis" or "weather bomb", parked itself over southern California, opening sinkholes and cutting power to thousands of people. |
Body of Briton who died while fighting Isis in Syria arrives in UK Posted: 19 Feb 2017 01:51 AM PST Hero's welcome at Heathrow for body of Ryan Lock who died after travelling to Syria to fight with Kurdish forces The body of a British man who died after travelling to Syria to join Kurdish militia in the fight against Islamic State has arrived back at Heathrow airport to a hero's welcome. Dozens of people, including members of the Kurdish community, held roses and pictures of Ryan Lock, 20, as his body was repatriated to the UK. Continue reading... |
Iraq launches west Mosul offensive as torture videos emerge Posted: 19 Feb 2017 01:24 AM PST Army reports strong start to campaign against Isis but launch overshadowed by images of men in forces uniforms carrying out executions Iraqi government forces have launched an offensive to capture the western part of the city of Mosul from Islamic State. Hundreds of military vehicles, backed by air power, were filmed travelling across the desert towards the jihadis' positions in the city early on Sunday. Continue reading... |
MI6 chief’s role in abduction of Gaddafi foe Belhaj set to be revealed Posted: 18 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST High court to consider review of decision not to prosecute former MI6 director over Abdel Hakim Belhaj case Britain's role in the seizure and alleged torture of a Libyan opponent of the former dictator Muammar Gaddafi looks set to be exposed after a court decision that will set alarm bells ringing in the intelligence services. The high court has said that it will hear an application for a judicial review of the Crown Prosecution Service's decision not to charge MI6's former counterterrorism director, Sir Mark Allen, over the abduction of Abdel Hakim Belhaj and his pregnant wife who were transferred to Libya in a joint CIA-MI6 operation in 2004. The decision means Belhaj's legal team can apply for confidential documents about MI6's part in the rendition of Belhaj to be shown to the court, a move that could embarrass the CPS. The application, filed on behalf of Belhaj and his wife by the human rights group, Reprieve, and the law firm Leigh Day alleged that while he and another man were in Libyan detention, "the UK security and intelligence services sought and obtained access to them and interrogated them, in circumstances where it was obvious that they were being held incommunicado, without any judicial supervision, and were subject to mistreatment and torture". Continue reading... |
Iraqi PM announces west Mosul attack as images of security forces' brutality emerge Posted: 18 Feb 2017 09:12 PM PST Video evidence of executions and torture stokes Sunni-Shia tension as troops launch final push to retake city from Isis Graphic videos of men in Iraqi security force uniforms carrying out beatings and summary executions on the streets of Mosul have cast a shadow over the campaign to retake the city from Islamic State as prime minister announced the launch of military operations. "We announce the start of a new phase in the operation, we are coming Nineveh to liberate the western side of Mosul," said Haider al-Abadi in a brief televised speech. Continue reading... |
Benjamin Netanyahu expected to face protests in Australia Posted: 18 Feb 2017 07:05 PM PST Israeli PM will be his country's first serving prime minister to visit, but his visit has already been criticised by prominent Australians The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to be greeted with protests during his historic visit to Australia this week. It's the first visit to Australia by a serving Israeli prime minister and follows Netanyahu's meeting with the US president, Donald Trump last week. Continue reading... |
Colombia death toll rises as gangs fill vacuum left by Farc rebels Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:04 PM PST Peace has proved more dangerous than war for activists and local leaders. Can the state stop the killings? After a 64-year-old activist, Porofirio Jaramillo, was dragged from his home and murdered by four men on motorbikes, the head of the Colombian government's victims unit did not mince his words. The country was facing a massacre in slow motion, he warned. The attack on Jaramillo was the 17th murder of a community leader since Colombia signed a peace deal with the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ) rebels last December. The agreement won President Juan Manuel Santos a Nobel peace prize, for offering a country racked by half a century of war the prospect of security again.But for many activists, politicians and campaigners seeking to shape the new Colombia, peace has proved more dangerous than war, as they have been picked off by assassinations. The killings grew more frequent even as the government and guerrillas lurched slowly towards a deal, with about 100 murdered last year as the final negotiations were hammered out. Continue reading... |
Malaysian police looking for four North Koreans over Kim Jong-nam killing Posted: 18 Feb 2017 11:44 PM PST Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, died on Monday after being assaulted at an airport Malaysian police said on Sunday that they were looking for four more North Korean suspects in connection with the murder of the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The four hold normal passports, not diplomatic passports. They police say they can not comment on whether they were linked to the North Korean government. Continue reading... |
Asylum seekers detained in Australia can keep phones for now, court rules Posted: 18 Feb 2017 10:18 PM PST Lawyers for asylum seekers in Melbourne, Sydney and regional Western Australia launch federal court challenge to new policy Refugee advocates say about 80 asylum seekers won't lose their mobile phones following an injunction stopping Australian Border Force staff confiscating them. Lawyers representing the asylum seekers detained in Melbourne, Sydney and regional Western Australia had launched a federal court challenge to the ABF's new policy of seizing all detainees' phones. Continue reading... |
Support a free press – don’t judge it Posted: 18 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST Lord Neuberger thinks the media should have a 'degree of responsibility' in its reporting, but isn't that a curb on its liberty to speak out? Those of us who thought Lord Neuberger, outgoing president of the supreme court, was best advised to say nothing while the Daily Mail was doing its foaming Brexit schtick about judicial "enemies of the people" found fears confirmed when his lordship finally joined battle last week. "The rule of law, together with democracy, is one of the two pillars on which our society is based," Neuberger told the Today show. Indeed, judges were "the ultimate guardians" of the rule of law. Of course, the press and media "have a positive duty to keep an eye on things. But I think with that power comes the degree of responsibility." We don't want unjustified attacks "undermining" society. Continue reading... |
US lawmakers want North Korea put back on terrorism blacklist Posted: 18 Feb 2017 09:00 PM PST Murder of Kim Jong-un's half-brother strengthens calls for more sanctions as US urges China to keep pressure on North Korea The apparent assassination of the North Korean leader's estranged half-brother is strengthening bipartisan calls for the US to relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation lifted nine years ago. Doing so would increase the country's isolation, while potentially complicating any future diplomacy to halt its nuclear and missile programs. The US kept North Korea on its terrorism blacklist for two decades after the 1987 bombing of a South Korean airliner killed 115 people. But President George W Bush lifted the designation in 2008 to smooth the way for aid-for-disarmament negotiations. The concession proved of little value as the talks collapsed soon after and have yet to resume. Continue reading... |
Fears mount over scale of Buddhist sect sexual abuse Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:05 PM PST Followers allege they were coerced into sex in 1970s and 80s with elders of UK's Triratna order One of the UK's largest Buddhist orders has been forced to report allegations of sexual abuse after a former follower claimed he was coerced into sex with one of its elders. In a separate development, the group's founder has apologised for having relationships with its members – some of which, he has previously acknowledged, may have been against their will. Triratna, which has tens of thousands of followers, is battling to protect its reputation, both in the worldwide Buddhist community and among its own members who are questioning the extent to which the coercion was perpetrated and how long it continued. Continue reading... |
One converted to Islam, the other went to far-right rallies: a modern tale of two brothers Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:05 PM PST They were party animals from the Midlands. Now a TV series explores the lives of Abdul and Lee In their youth, brothers Shaun and Lee did what they describe as the usual things: "getting wrecked" – drink, drugs, clubbing, gambling. "The party was always at our house, put it that way. And I was the host," said Shaun. But Shaun has since become Abdul, a convert to Islam whose life is governed by his devotion to Allah and the strict demands of his faith. Meanwhile, Lee travelled around the country to anti-Muslim rallies organised by the English Defence League. The brothers have taken starkly different directions. But Abdul told the Observer: "I know Lee loves me and I love him." Continue reading... |
Colombia activist killings ‘will not be tolerated’ says minister Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:03 PM PST Clara López, key player in the peace process, vows an 'end to impunity' for rightwing death squads The woman who is emerging as a linchpin in Colombia's efforts to implement historic peace accords said last week that the culture of impunity over the killing of indigenous land and human rights activists "will not be tolerated. The end of impunity for killing of this kind is crucial to imposing the peace agreement, which is also about an end to the use of all arms for political ends in Colombia". Labour minister Clara López was leader of the leftwing Alternative Democratic Pole party which swung the 2014 presidential election in favour of the architect of the peace process, the 2016 Nobel peace prize winner President Juan Manuel Santos. She was recently appointed to the national commission for reintegration, charged with helping guerrillas from the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) back into society, after 62 years of internal war. Continue reading... |
Omar Abdel-Rahman, convicted in 1993 World Trade Center bombing, dies at 78 Posted: 18 Feb 2017 11:02 AM PST Extremist Muslim cleric known as 'blind sheikh' became notorious figure to US authorities and was for decades the face of radical Islam before 9/11 attacks Omar Abdel-Rahman, the extremist Muslim cleric known as "the blind sheikh" who was convicted of conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, has died aged 78. The Egyptian cleric died of natural causes at the Federal Medical Center, Butner, part of a federal prison compound in Butner, North Carolina, according to spokesman Greg Norton. He had been incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex, Butner, for nearly 10 years and struggled with diabetes and coronary artery disease, Norton said. Continue reading... |
Posted: 18 Feb 2017 06:18 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
A thousand day-old chicks abandoned in Peterborough field Posted: 18 Feb 2017 05:55 AM PST RSPCA believes baby chickens came from commercial producer but were dumped by a third party About 1,000 day-old chicks have been abandoned in a field. RSPCA inspectors said members of the public made the discovery of the newly hatched chickens in a field in Crowland, near Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire on Friday. Many of the chicks are believed to be in good health, although some had died while others had to be put down due to their injuries, the animal welfare charity said. Continue reading... |
Mike Pence tells Nato allies to ‘do more’ on defence spending – video Posted: 18 Feb 2017 04:04 AM PST US vice-president Mike Pence makes a speech at the Munich security conference on Sunday, and warns other Nato members that President Donald Trump expects them to "keep their word" on defence spending obligations. In his strongly worded statements Pence says that, although the US is committed to the Nato alliance, the fact that many members are not yet contributing 2% of their GDP towards defence is "eroding the very foundations" of the agreement Continue reading... |
Mike Pence widens US rift with Europe over Nato defence spending Posted: 18 Feb 2017 02:29 AM PST On first visit to Europe since taking office, US vice-president tells Munich conference Nato allies must step up their contributions The US vice-president has delivered the most uncompromising message yet from the Trump administration to Nato allies that they have to step up financial contributions towards defence spending. On his first visit to Europe since taking office, Mike Pence said "some of our largest allies do not have a credible path" towards paying their share of Nato's financial burden. Although he did not name individual countries, his targets included Germany, France and Italy. "The time has come to do more," he said. Continue reading... |
Hope for Hanoi? New bus system could cut pollution … if enough people use it Posted: 18 Feb 2017 02:58 AM PST A new $53m BRT (bus rapid transit) system has the power to reduce Hanoi's dreadful air pollution. Persuading residents of Vietnam's rapidly expanding capital to ditch their motorbikes and private cars, however, will be another story From his high-rise office building in Hanoi, Tran Dung can barely see his city's skyline behind the thick layer of smog. Before leaving work, the 25-year-old executive assistant checks the pollution reading on his AirVisual app, which provides real-time measurements of PM2.5 – the tiny particles found in smog that can damage your throat and lungs. Hanoi's PM2.5 levels typically range from 100 to 200 micrograms per cubic metre – regularly within the globally acknowledged "unhealthy" category. But on 19 December last year, they hit "hazardous levels" at 343μg/m3, which was higher than Beijing. Continue reading... |
'They have their own agenda': Trump attacks media at Florida rally – video Posted: 18 Feb 2017 05:34 PM PST Donald Trump holds a rally in Melbourne, Florida, five months after being elected president of the US. Speaking in an airplane hangar in front of a crowd of roughly 9,000 people, Trump continues his attack on the "dishonest" media and likens his stance to that of former presidents Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln. He says the media has "their own agenda", which is different to that of the American people Continue reading... |
Trump’s first month of lies – video Posted: 18 Feb 2017 06:37 AM PST In his first month as president, Donald Trump made numerous false statements on subjects that ranged from the extremely petty – such as crowd sizes – to those of national and international significance. The Guardian examines his most egregious falsehoods and considers what to do about a serial liar in the White House Continue reading... |
Senator John McCain: Trump administration is in ‘disarray’ – video Posted: 18 Feb 2017 03:01 AM PST Republican Senator John McCain, who has in the past been critical of new president Donald Trump, speaks at a security conference in Munich, Germany and says that Nato's founders would be alarmed by society's growing unwillingness to "separate truth from lies". Referencing Trump directly, McCain also admitted that the new administration is in "disarray" but pledged to speak up when he disagrees with actions Trump is taking 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