World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Trump faces day of struggles over Betsy DeVos and travel ban
- Travel ban: court hears challenges to suspension of Trump's order – as it happened
- Putin approves legal change that decriminalises domestic violence
- Kremlin critic in coma was 'poisoned by undefined substance'
- Final phase of Dakota Access pipeline to be approved, a major blow to Standing Rock Sioux
- Women in Argentina go topless in protest over right to sunbathe semi-nude
- Greece's debt costs rise sharply as worries grow over IMF role
- China may still be using executed prisoners' organs, official admits
- Dresden's bitter divide over Aleppo-inspired bus barricade sculpture
- French presidential contender François Fillon faces fresh claims over wife's pay
- Migration crisis: plight of people stuck in Serbia's 'new Calais' laid bare
- Dozens killed in suicide blast at Afghanistan's supreme court
- Hillary Clinton urges women to 'step up and speak out' in new video
- Vandals sentenced to read books about racism and antisemitism
- Pakistan bans hit Bollywood film Raees
- Palestinians demand action against Israel over settlements law
- Spinal Tap creators aim to 'go to 11' with $400m lawsuit
- Coretta Scott King's letter opposing Jeff Sessions read aloud by Elizabeth Warren outside Senate – video
- Albanians caught entering UK illegally more than any other nationality
- Clare in the community
- Iranian travel ban baby arrives in US for life-saving heart surgery
- Meet Aisha, a former antelope hunter who now tracks Boko Haram
- UK police forces paid informants £20m over past five years
- May will not let UK crash out of EU if MPs reject deal, Starmer says
- Ugandans give warm welcome to South Sudanese fleeing violence – in pictures
- I worked in orphanages for years. I now know there's no substitute for family
- Manila fire destroys homes of 15,000 shantytown residents
- George Christensen says he will cross floor to back banking inquiry
- 'I like to look smart': female dandies of DRC delight in extravagance
- Wednesday briefing: Trump's travel ban has uncertain appeal
- Women in Buenos Aires hold topless protest over right to sunbathe semi-nude – video
- UK minister ignored official warning over Saudi weapons exports, court hears
- Privacy chief has 'grave concerns' about listening devices installed in public places by council
- Another take on Putin, Trump and Ukraine | Letters
- Anish Kapoor has gifted a PR victory to Israel | Letters
- Eyewitness: Morecambe Bay
- The millionaire's darling: Zaha Hadid's urban artworks – in pictures
- Hans Rosling, statistician and development champion, dies aged 68
- One million refugees flee famine in Africa – archive, 8 February 1985
- The US foreign policy changes that would put millions at risk
- The media under-reports threat of Islamic terrorism – to Muslims
- Republicans silence Elizabeth Warren during Senate debate – video
- Court hears challenges to suspension of Trump's travel ban – video
- Mike Pence breaks tie to confirm Betsy DeVos as education secretary – video
- Barack Obama shows off kitesurfing skills to Richard Branson – video report
- Frozen out: the US interpreters abandoned on Europe’s border – video
- Kellyanne Conway’s ‘Bowling Green massacre’ not a one-off – video report
- Trump doesn’t own a bathrobe, says press secretary Spicer – video
| Trump faces day of struggles over Betsy DeVos and travel ban Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:16 PM PST Democrats try to block Trump's pick for education secretary in the morning, while the afternoon brings challenge to his immigration ban Donald Trump was facing another day of trench warfare with the US Senate and the courts on Tuesday as he struggled to get his team and his conservative agenda on track. The day began with Democrats, who had occupied the floor of the Senate through the night, trying to block the confirmation of billionaire Betsy DeVos as Trump's education secretary. Continue reading... |
| Travel ban: court hears challenges to suspension of Trump's order – as it happened Posted: 07 Feb 2017 06:27 PM PST Live coverage as the ninth US circuit court of appeals in San Francisco weighs up whether president's controversial ban will stand
The court has not said when it intends to deliver a ruling, only that it will try to do so quickly. That means probably not today, but almost certainly this week. Here's what they'll be considering: Related: Travel ban hearing: whose arguments are stronger and what happens next?
The judges said they would try to deliver a ruling as soon as possible, report David Smith in Washington and Julia Carrie Wong in San Francisco: During a hearing conducted by telephone between various locations, August Flentje, of the Department of Justice, described the ban as putting a "temporary pause" on travelers from countries that "pose special risk". He said the seven countries targeted had "significant terrorist presence" or were "safe havens for terrorism". Trump's actions were "plainly constitutional", Flentje argued, as the president sought to strike a balance between welcoming visitors and securing the nation of the risk of terrorism. "The president has struck that balance," he said. "The district court order upset that balance." Related: Travel ban: judges skeptical as court hears arguments on Trump's order Continue reading... |
| Putin approves legal change that decriminalises domestic violence Posted: 07 Feb 2017 08:18 AM PST Critics say amendment sends wrong message in country where it is estimated domestic abuse kills a woman every 40 minutes Vladimir Putin has signed into law a controversial amendment that decriminalises domestic violence. The amendment, which sailed through both houses of Russian parliament before Tuesday's presidential signing, has elicited anger from critics who say that it sends the wrong message in a country where, according to some estimates, one woman dies every 40 minutes from domestic abuse. Continue reading... |
| Kremlin critic in coma was 'poisoned by undefined substance' Posted: 07 Feb 2017 10:47 AM PST Vladimir Kara-Murza, 35, remains in stable but critical condition in medically induced coma after falling ill last week A prominent Kremlin critic and Russian opposition figure who has been in a coma since last week has been diagnosed with "acute poisoning by an undefined substance", his wife has said. Vladimir Kara-Murza, 35, who works for Mikhail Khodorkovsky's Open Russia foundation, had been in Russia to screen a documentary film about his friend Boris Nemtsov, the opposition leader and former deputy prime minister who was gunned down near the Kremlin in 2015. Continue reading... |
| Final phase of Dakota Access pipeline to be approved, a major blow to Standing Rock Sioux Posted: 07 Feb 2017 03:02 PM PST The army corps of engineers says it intends to grant a permit for the oil pipeline to cross the Missouri river, following Donald Trump's executive order The US government is set to allow the final phase of construction of the Dakota Access pipeline to begin as early as Wednesday, dealing a major blow to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Related: Over 70 arrested at Standing Rock as Dakota Access aims to finish pipeline Continue reading... |
| Women in Argentina go topless in protest over right to sunbathe semi-nude Posted: 07 Feb 2017 05:01 PM PST Demonstrators mass in Buenos Aires after police asked bare-breasted women to leave a nearby beach Dozens of topless women, joined by hundreds of fully clothed protesters, have demonstrated in Buenos Aires to demand the right to sunbathe semi-nude after police asked bare-breasted women to leave a nearby beach. Smaller protests have occurred throughout the country in recent weeks in response to the January incident and it remains unclear if Argentine law allows women to go topless on public beaches. Continue reading... |
| Greece's debt costs rise sharply as worries grow over IMF role Posted: 07 Feb 2017 10:26 AM PST Investors worried by fund's warnings country's debt burden is unsustainable and reported split over joining latest bailout Fresh worries over Greece's debts have pushed the country's borrowing costs sharply higher amid renewed insistence from Athens it will not swallow further austerity demands from international lenders. The yields on two-year government bonds jumped to their highest level since last June and went above 10% to reflect growing anxiety on financial markets over Greece's ability to keep up to date with debt repayments. Yields on 10-year government bonds were also higher at above 7.8%, the highest close since November. Continue reading... |
| China may still be using executed prisoners' organs, official admits Posted: 07 Feb 2017 09:14 AM PST Huang Jiefu, in charge of overhauling the Chinese transplant network, angers rights activists as Vatican trafficking talks begin An official in charge of overhauling China's organ transplant programme has said the country may still be using organs from executed prisoners in some cases, even though there is technically zero tolerance for the practice. The admission by Huang Jiefu, a former Chinese deputy health minister, came as human rights activists and medical ethics experts voiced strong objections to his inclusion at a Vatican summit designed to tackle illicit organ trafficking. Continue reading... |
| Dresden's bitter divide over Aleppo-inspired bus barricade sculpture Posted: 07 Feb 2017 05:14 AM PST Recreating three vertical buses used to stop sniper fire in Syria is 'an abuse of artistic freedom' say rightwingers in German city devastated in WWII To some Dresdeners, the towers of rusty metal are nothing but a distraction from the reconstituted glory of their city centre. To others, they are a thought-provoking reminder that the city was itself a pile of rubble not that long ago. A new installation in the heart of the east German city, unveiled on Tuesday and entitled Monument, recreates one of the most surreal images to have emerged from the Syrian civil war: three buses propped up vertically in an Aleppo street to build a barricade against sniper fire. Continue reading... |
| French presidential contender François Fillon faces fresh claims over wife's pay Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:20 AM PST Rightwing candidate disputes allegation that Penelope Fillon received €48,000 in severance payments François Fillon, the rightwing French presidential candidate who has refused to quit over allegations he paid his wife from public funds for a fake job, has been hit with fresh claims that she was given generous severance payments. The investigative and satirical weekly, the Canard Enchaîné, claimed British-born Penelope Fillon, who was highly paid from taxpayers' money for 15 years as a parliamentary assistant, had received a total of €45,000 (£38,400) in severance payments at the end of two contracts. Continue reading... |
| Migration crisis: plight of people stuck in Serbia's 'new Calais' laid bare Posted: 07 Feb 2017 06:45 AM PST Two Afghan ex-US army translators stranded in freezing and squalid Belgrade camp tell their tale in Guardian video Two former interpreters for the US military in Afghanistan are among the thousands of refugees and migrants stuck in freezing conditions in a Belgrade camp. It is estimated that up to 8,000 people are stranded in Serbia, with temperatures dropping to -17C at the start of this year. The UN's refugee agency has called on European governments to do more to help refugees and migrants at risk of dying in the severe cold weather, citing at least five related deaths since January. Continue reading... |
| Dozens killed in suicide blast at Afghanistan's supreme court Posted: 07 Feb 2017 07:31 AM PST Afghan president condemns attack, which happened as judicial staff were leaving work for the day in country's capital At least 20 people have been killed and 41 injured in a suicide bomb attack on the supreme court in the Afghan capital, according to officials. The attacker, who was wearing a suicide vest, targeted a bus carrying judicial personnel as they were leaving work for the day, Najibullah Danish, the deputy spokesman for the interior ministry, said. Continue reading... |
| Hillary Clinton urges women to 'step up and speak out' in new video Posted: 07 Feb 2017 07:54 AM PST Clinton gave her first public address since Donald Trump's inauguration as president, in a recorded video for an annual women's leadership conference Hillary Clinton declared the "future is female" on Monday in her first public address since Donald Trump's inauguration as president. In a video recorded for a women's leadership conference in California, Clinton did not mention her 2016 election rival Trump and instead applauded the women who protested across the globe the day after his inauguration. Continue reading... |
| Vandals sentenced to read books about racism and antisemitism Posted: 07 Feb 2017 09:36 AM PST A judge in Virginia has ordered teenagers who covered a historic school with offensive graffiti to study 35 titles including Native Son and The Color Purple Alice Walker's The Color Purple, Arthur Miller's The Crucible and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner are among a list of 35 books a group of five vandals have been ordered to read, after they were found guilty of covering a historic African American schoolhouse with racist, antisemitic and obscene graffiti. A judge sentenced the teenagers to read the books, as well as watching 14 films, visiting two museums and writing a research paper to encourage "a greater appreciation for gender, race, religion, and bigotry" (sic) after they were caught vandalising the Ashburn Colored School in Virginia, broadcaster WUSA reported. Continue reading... |
| Pakistan bans hit Bollywood film Raees Posted: 07 Feb 2017 09:24 AM PST Indian blockbuster starring Mahira Khan and Shah Rukh Khan banned for portraying Muslims as 'criminals and terrorists' Fans of Bollywood movies in Pakistan will not be able to watch an Indian blockbuster starring a homegrown actor after the country's film board banned the movie for its apparently unflattering depictions of Muslims. Indian films are enormously popular in Pakistan but Raees had been particularly hotly anticipated as it features Shah Rukh Khan, one of India's most popular male leads, and Mahira Khan, a Pakistani star making her first appearance in a major Indian production. Continue reading... |
| Palestinians demand action against Israel over settlements law Posted: 07 Feb 2017 07:03 AM PST Critics say move to legalise thousands of West Bank homes shows Israel has no intention of ending occupation Senior Palestinian officials have called for the international community to punish Israel over a contentious new law that seeks to retroactively legalise thousands of West Bank Jewish settlement homes built unlawfully on private Palestinian land. The legislation passed by Israeli MPs late on Monday night comes after a surge in pro-settlement decisions in the weeks since Donald Trump was sworn in as US president. Continue reading... |
| Spinal Tap creators aim to 'go to 11' with $400m lawsuit Posted: 08 Feb 2017 01:11 AM PST Harry Shearer joined by fellow band members and director Rob Reiner in claim Vivendi has not fully shared profits The band members from cult rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap have agreed to reunite in a bid they claim will ensure a $400m (£321m) lawsuit against media firm Vivendi "goes to 11". Three of the film's co-creators and stars have agreed to get back together to join co-star Harry Shearer in a suit against the French firm, the parent company of Universal Music. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 08 Feb 2017 12:52 AM PST Elizabeth Warren reads aloud a letter from the widow of Martin Luther King, Coretta Scott King. Footage of the Massachusetts senator reading the letter outside the Senate was broadcast on Facebook Live on Tuesday after Republicans stopped her reading it during a debate on Donald Trump's nomination of Jeff Sessions as attorney general. The letter relates to Sessions' failed judicial nomination in the 1980s
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| Albanians caught entering UK illegally more than any other nationality Posted: 08 Feb 2017 12:47 AM PST Home Office statistics show 981 Albanian 'clandestine migrants' discovered at UK entry ports from 2008 to 2016 Twice as many Albanians have been caught as stowaways at UK ports than any other nationality, new government figures reveal. Some 981 Albanian "clandestine migrants" were discovered at UK entry ports from 2008 until spring 2016, according to Home Office statistics released to the Guardian under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 08 Feb 2017 12:28 AM PST On message Continue reading... |
| Iranian travel ban baby arrives in US for life-saving heart surgery Posted: 08 Feb 2017 12:05 AM PST Family of four-month-old Fatemeh Reshad were temporarily banned from coming to US by Donald Trump's immigration orders An Iranian infant in need of life-saving heart surgery has arrived at a Portland hospital with her family after being temporarily banned from coming to the US by President Trump's immigration orders. Related: Iranian baby girl in need of heart surgery gets waiver to enter US after travel ban Continue reading... |
| Meet Aisha, a former antelope hunter who now tracks Boko Haram Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST How Aisha Bakari Gombi, 'queen hunter' in the fight against the world's deadliest terror group, became a heroine in north Nigeria As seven abducted women and four children were being taken deeper into Sambisa forest, Aisha Bakari Gombi received a call. The voice was familiar: an army commander asking her to assemble a group of hunters to track them down. Continue reading... |
| UK police forces paid informants £20m over past five years Posted: 08 Feb 2017 01:47 AM PST Paying for information is scrutinised and can save money by cutting need for months of surveillance, says senior officer Police chiefs have insisted that paying informants is cost effective after new figures revealed that forces have paid almost £20m for information over the last five years. A freedom of information request revealed that the Metropolitan police alone paid £5.2m from 2011 to 2016, more than a quarter of the amount paid out nationally. Continue reading... |
| May will not let UK crash out of EU if MPs reject deal, Starmer says Posted: 08 Feb 2017 12:56 AM PST Shadow Brexit secretary rejects government claim that MPs will only get 'take it or leave it' vote on Brexit deal Theresa May will not be able to resist pressure to go back to the negotiating table if parliament rejects her Brexit deal with the EU, Labour's Keir Starmer has argued. Related: Article 50 bill: May sees off attempt to give MPs veto over Brexit deal Continue reading... |
| Ugandans give warm welcome to South Sudanese fleeing violence – in pictures Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST Last year, almost half a million people arrived in Uganda, escaping conflict in South Sudan. More than 270,000 found shelter in Bidi Bidi camp, where the local community continues the country's tradition of helping those in need All photographs by Tiral Skarstein/Norwegian Refugee Council |
| I worked in orphanages for years. I now know there's no substitute for family Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST There is no moral, financial or scientific justification for the proliferation and perpetuation of orphanages. I learned it the hard, and harmful, way "If we all wear these shirts we'll get to go through the diplomatic line at customs," my mother said as we packed our bags for a missionary trip to an orphanage in Honduras. It worked – we breezed through customs with the ease of an ambassador. Related: Volunteer travel: experts raise concerns over unregulated industry Continue reading... |
| Manila fire destroys homes of 15,000 shantytown residents Posted: 07 Feb 2017 09:45 PM PST Families forced to scour remains of thier makeshift houses for belongings after blaze raged out of control, leaving several people injured About 15,000 residents of a shantytown beside Manila's port have lost their homes in a fire that raged overnight before being put out Wednesday morning, officials said. Related: Duterte's drug war in the Philippines is out of control, he needs to be stopped | Robert Muggah Continue reading... |
| George Christensen says he will cross floor to back banking inquiry Posted: 08 Feb 2017 01:07 AM PST Conservative Coalition backbencher says he and Bob Katter have agreed to introduce a private member's bill in March The Liberal backbencher George Christensen has signalled he will break ranks with the Turnbull government to vote for a non-government bill calling for a commission of inquiry into the banking industry. The announcement from the outspoken conservative follows the defection of the Liberal senator Cory Bernardi this week. Continue reading... |
| 'I like to look smart': female dandies of DRC delight in extravagance Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST Kinshasa's fashionable sapeurs have been joined by growing cadre of sapeuses who dress to impress Immaculate in her Dolce & Gabbana suit, Iye Bilele expertly hops over a blocked drain on Yves Saint Laurent stilettos. She bends and gingerly strokes a lame monkey tethered to a rickety shelf unit in the humble compound that doubles as her family home and bar. Bilele lives where she was born, in the musical heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa. Hers is one of the five streets that make up Molokai, a musicians' village commune created by Papa Wemba, the king of Congolese rumba, who when he died on stage in May left an army of grieving dandies – the sapeurs. Continue reading... |
| Wednesday briefing: Trump's travel ban has uncertain appeal Posted: 07 Feb 2017 10:44 PM PST Court leaves immigration order in limbo … Barack Obama goes kite-surfing with Richard Branson … and Stonehenge road tunnel encounters an obstacle Hello, this is Warren Murray bringing you today's Guardian morning briefing. Continue reading... |
| Women in Buenos Aires hold topless protest over right to sunbathe semi-nude – video Posted: 07 Feb 2017 06:36 PM PST Women held a topless demonstrations in the Argentinian capital on Tuesday proclaiming their 'ownership over their own bodies.' The protest, known locally as a 'Tetazo,' which was organised on social media, was sparked in recent days after a group of women who were forced by police to cover up while sunbathing topless at a well-known beach resort. Continue reading... |
| UK minister ignored official warning over Saudi weapons exports, court hears Posted: 07 Feb 2017 12:10 PM PST Sajid Javid refused to suspend exports despite advice that weapons could be used to illegally kill civilians in Yemen Sajid Javid refused to halt weapons exports to Saudi Arabia last year despite being warned by a senior civil servant that the sales should be suspended over human rights concerns. The then business secretary was told a year ago about concerns that weapons could be used to kill civilians in Yemen, according to ministerial correspondence that emerged on the first day of a judicial review into UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Continue reading... |
| Privacy chief has 'grave concerns' about listening devices installed in public places by council Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:08 AM PST Commissioner Philip Green says he had concerns the scheme breached two laws, contradicting the mayor who said Green had advised it broke no laws The Queensland privacy commissioner has raised "grave concerns" about a local council's roll out of hundreds of listening devices for surveillance in public places, including that they may be a criminal breach of privacy laws. The commissioner, Philip Green, has also rejected a claim by the mayor of the Moreton Bay regional council that he endorsed the scheme as legal, saying "it wasn't run by me". Continue reading... |
| Another take on Putin, Trump and Ukraine | Letters Posted: 07 Feb 2017 10:52 AM PST Jonathan Freedland (First on the White House agenda: the collapse of the global order. Next, war?, 4 February) asserts that with his "swooning admirer" in the White House, Vladimir Putin "feels free to flex his muscles", and has launched an offensive in eastern Ukraine. As so often in recent coverage of Russia, the opposite is the case. Moscow has desperately tried to keep the Donbass conflict frozen, and has restrained the various militias from responding. In recent weeks, we have watched with increasing alarm as Ukrainian forces have pushed forward into the demilitarised demarcation line in a "bite and hold" strategy. This was admitted by the Ukrainian deputy defence minister, Igor Pavlovsky, when he stated that "step by step … our boys have been advancing". The rebel forces in the Donbass have nothing to gain by a renewed offensive, but in the end were forced to respond. Continue reading... |
| Anish Kapoor has gifted a PR victory to Israel | Letters Posted: 07 Feb 2017 10:51 AM PST Anish Kapoor accepts Israel's $1m Genesis prize and makes a heartfelt statement about the plight of refugees – but fails to mention the word "Palestinian" (Kapoor uses prize to protest at 'exclusionist' refugee policies, 6 February). Predictably, his words have been packaged by the prize organisers (co-sponsored by the office of the Israeli prime minister) for a global audience, and they have provided Israel with a $1m PR victory. It's laudable that Kapoor wishes to give the prize money to refugee support. But given that Palestinians form one of the largest and most longstanding refugee populations on the planet, and given that the Genesis prize rewards "commitment to the state of Israel", it's perhaps unsurprising that Kapoor's call for empathy for refugees has been used to improve Israel's poor image abroad and promote empathy for Israel at the expense of its victims. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 07 Feb 2017 02:51 AM PST Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading... |
| The millionaire's darling: Zaha Hadid's urban artworks – in pictures Posted: 07 Feb 2017 04:31 AM PST The late architect was a favourite of wealthy clients in part for her bold visions of futuristic cities, including extensive subterranean development – a collection of which are being displayed at Zaha Hadid: Early Paintings and Drawings at the Serpentine Sackler gallery, London, until Sunday Continue reading... |
| Hans Rosling, statistician and development champion, dies aged 68 Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:34 PM PST Swedish academic, whose gift for making data sing brought his innovative ideas to a worldwide audience, dies after year-long illness It was his first Ted talk that thrust renowned Swedish academic Hans Rosling into the international spotlight in 2006, billed as the man in whose hands data sings. Since then, the statistician more likely to illustrate an idea with a few multi-coloured lego bricks than a PowerPoint has been described as everything from a data guru to a Jedi master of data visualisation. He died on Tuesday, aged 68, after a year-long illness, surrounded by his family in Uppsala, Sweden. Continue reading... |
| One million refugees flee famine in Africa – archive, 8 February 1985 Posted: 07 Feb 2017 09:00 PM PST 8 February 1985: UN launches appeal in response to the African emergency, which affects 20 countries The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees appealed here yesterday for $96.4 million to assist 1.19 million refugees and former refugees in the Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic. The appeal is one of the largest launched by a UN agency in response to the African emergency, which affects 20 countries. Mr Poul Hartling, the UN High Commissioner, told a press conference that the lion's share of the money - $73.9 million - will be spent on Sudan. About 250,000 Ethiopian refugees had arrived since last October, he said, and another 300,000 seemed likely to arrive before the middle of the year. Continue reading... |
| The US foreign policy changes that would put millions at risk Posted: 07 Feb 2017 04:49 AM PST Cuts in contributions to the UN and other institutions that would hit women and girls hardest, plus a look at the likely impact on peace and security If you are reading this on the web and would prefer to get it in your inbox every two weeks, register for the email edition Donald Trump's executive orders have continued to dominate the headlines. We reported that women, girls and people fleeing war and persecution will bear the brunt of far-reaching US policy changes likely to be ushered in under the president, potentially jeopardising the lives of millions of vulnerable people around the world. The draft executive order by the Trump administration that would slash a minimum of 40% of funding to multilateral institutions, such as the UN and the World Bank, threatens dire consequences for the international system and the people it aims to help. Julian Egan argues in an op-ed that it's a short-sighted policy; he says these are the very international bodies that aim to tackle the root causes of conflict and violence, and that such cuts would be costly to peace and security. Continue reading... |
| The media under-reports threat of Islamic terrorism – to Muslims Posted: 07 Feb 2017 07:33 AM PST Major attacks on westerners and supposed plots receive blanket coverage, but the vast majority of deaths are among Muslims The media has been guilty of many failures in the nearly 20 years since Islamic militancy emerged as a global phenomenon with al-Qaida's bombing of US embassies in east Africa in 1998, but under-reporting the threat it poses to westerners cannot conceivably be considered one of them. In the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks, many journalists were as frightened, unaware and credulous as other members of the public. Few now remember the supposed tunnel complexes in which al-Qaida was supposed to have bunkered down in Afghanistan in late 2001. Continue reading... |
| Republicans silence Elizabeth Warren during Senate debate – video Posted: 07 Feb 2017 08:39 PM PST Speaking on the Senate floor, Elizabeth Warren was interrupted while quoting from 30-year-old correspondence from Coretta Scott King relating to Jeff Sessions's failed judicial nomination in the 1980s. Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell objected that Warren had broken Senate rules prohibiting one member impugning the conduct of another. His objection was upheld, eliciting furious response from Democrats. Continue reading... |
| Court hears challenges to suspension of Trump's travel ban – video Posted: 07 Feb 2017 06:09 PM PST Noah Purcell, Washington state's solicitor general, and August Flentje, a longtime justice department lawyer, made their cases at the ninth US circuit court of appeals in San Francisco, as it weighed whether president Trump's controversial ban will stand Continue reading... |
| Mike Pence breaks tie to confirm Betsy DeVos as education secretary – video Posted: 07 Feb 2017 11:58 AM PST Vice-President Mike Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote on Tuesday to confirm Donald Trump's choice of billionaire Betsy DeVos to be education secretary. Earlier, Democrats staged an all-night protest to try to deny her the role. They see the billionaire philanthropist as dangerously unqualified Continue reading... |
| Barack Obama shows off kitesurfing skills to Richard Branson – video report Posted: 07 Feb 2017 08:38 AM PST Former president Barack Obama and businessman Richard Branson shared a getaway on the magnate's island in the Caribbean last week. Obama and Branson competed to learn kitesurfing and foil boarding respectively. Obama is a watersports enthusiast but was prevented from surfing while in office for security reasons. The Obama's spent a week in Palm Springs before traveling to the Virgin Islands following the Trump inauguration Continue reading... |
| Frozen out: the US interpreters abandoned on Europe’s border – video Posted: 07 Feb 2017 06:29 AM PST Jamshid and Mati served the US military as interpreters during the war in Afghanistan, but like many, haven't been granted visas to emigrate to the US. With their lives threatened by the Taliban, they joined the migrants heading for western Europe, only to find themselves trapped in Serbia on the wrong side of impenetrable borders. They live in a squalid warehouse in Belgrade. With smugglers refusing to take them across dangerous border crossings, all they can do is wait Continue reading... |
| Kellyanne Conway’s ‘Bowling Green massacre’ not a one-off – video report Posted: 07 Feb 2017 06:27 AM PST Kellyanne Conway, a senior aide to Donald Trump, told MSNBC last week that two Iraqis who came to the US 'were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre' – a massacre that never happened. She later said she misspoke and that it was an 'honest mistake'. Yet it has now emerged that she cited the fictitious 'massacre' twice before: to Cosmpolitan.com and to TMZ Continue reading... |
| Trump doesn’t own a bathrobe, says press secretary Spicer – video Posted: 07 Feb 2017 02:34 AM PST White House press secretary Sean Spicer rebuts a New York Times story that depicted chaos since Donald Trump became president last month. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday aboard Air Force One, Spicer focuses on the report's description of the president wearing a bathrobe |
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