World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Bank that lent $300m to Trump linked to Russian money laundering scam
- French interior minister quits over holiday jobs for his daughters
- Jesus's tomb unveiled after $4m restoration
- Brussels to unveil terror victims' memorial one year after attacks in city
- North Korea 'accelerates' nuclear plan and is 'not afraid' of more US sanctions
- Coal in 'freefall' as new power plants dive by two-thirds
- Womb cancer risk grows with extra waist weight, study suggests
- Fox drops analyst who said UK might have helped spy on Trump
- Land rights activist shot dead in Brazilian Amazon hospital
- Experts criticize US electronic devices ban on some flights from Middle East
- Cut it out: Canada bars diplomats from using cardboard Justin Trudeau figures
- Martin McGuinness: Sinn Féin leaders help carry coffin home in Derry
- Uber executives defend embattled CEO in latest damage-control effort
- Protesters in DC confront Honduran president over Berta Cáceres murder
- US electronics ban for Middle East flights endangers passengers for profit
- Oil theft 'provides billions for terrorists and drug cartels'
- Thousands of Mumbai doctors strike after assaults on hospital staff
- Hong Kong's Art Basel exhibition – in pictures
- How Finland solved homelessness | Interview: Juha Kaakinen
- 30 years in the life of one Chinese square – in pictures
- Why denying refugees the right to work is a catastrophic error | Paul Collier and Alexander Betts
- North Korea missile test ends in failure – reports
- What support does your employer give to fathers?
- World Water Day: one in four children will live with water scarcity by 2040
- Donald Trump is under investigation for ties to Russia. What happens now?
- Cory Bernardi surprises Coalition by signalling opposition to childcare reforms
- Wednesday briefing: Labour is shrinking. Blame the leadership?
- Hong Kong elects a new chief executive: what you need to know
- Abortion decriminalised in Northern Territory after long campaign
- 'Better de-horned than dead' – zoo chops rhino horns to foil poachers
- 'Gay panic' murder defence thrown out in Queensland
- French interior minister resigns over jobs for daughters – video
- UK bans laptops and tablets on flights from six Middle East countries
- EU borders and the devil in the detail of Brexit | Letters
- The west failed Russia at a crucial time. Now we’re paying the price | Letters
- Police to examine 'Global Laundromat' money laundering allegations
- String of attacks across Guatemala lead to deaths of three policemen
- Claim that MP lied about Kenya massacre 'may be in contempt of parliament'
- French interior minister investigated over daughters' holiday jobs
- The world's northernmost surf school – in pictures
- Jesus’s tomb reopens after nine-month restoration – video
- Russia accused of hindering UK money laundering investigations
- China goes west: a ghost city in the sand comes to life
- 中国鬼城开始复苏
- Identity politics and intolerance a barrier to development, says UN report
- Appeal to fight hunger in east Africa, and the US cuts that pose a threat to women
- Inquiry clears World Vision Gaza of diverting funds to Hamas
- Will Trump be impeached – or is it just a liberal fantasy?
- Is Rex Tillerson the weakest secretary of state of all time? | Isaac Stone Fish
| Bank that lent $300m to Trump linked to Russian money laundering scam Posted: 21 Mar 2017 12:00 PM PDT Deutsche Bank among western institutions that processed billions of dollars in cash of 'criminal origin' through Latvia The German bank that loaned $300m (£260m) to Donald Trump played a prominent role in a money laundering scandal run by Russian criminals with ties to the Kremlin, the Guardian can reveal. Deutsche Bank is one of dozens of western financial institutions that processed at least $20bn – and possibly more – in money of "criminal origin" from Russia. Continue reading... |
| French interior minister quits over holiday jobs for his daughters Posted: 21 Mar 2017 11:08 AM PDT Bruno Le Roux stands down hours after financial prosecutor's office announced they were putting him under preliminary investigation The French interior minister has been forced to resign in a row over employing his teenage daughters as parliamentary assistants during the school holidays, in another blow to the country's beleaguered political elite with one month to go until the first round of presidential elections. Bruno Le Roux stood down hours after the financial prosecutor's office announced they were putting him under preliminary investigation. He had offered his resignation earlier in the day to the president, François Hollande, who accepted it. Continue reading... |
| Jesus's tomb unveiled after $4m restoration Posted: 21 Mar 2017 03:26 AM PDT Wednesday's ceremony will mark completion of nine-month renovation of most sacred monument in Christianity The restored tomb in which Jesus's body is believed to have been interred after his crucifixion will be officially unveiled at a ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on Wednesday. A team of Greek scientists and restorers has completed the nine-month renovation project, which focused on a small structure above the burial chamber, known as the Edicule. It is the most sacred monument in Christianity. |
| Brussels to unveil terror victims' memorial one year after attacks in city Posted: 21 Mar 2017 05:01 PM PDT Sculpture will be inaugurated in ceremony marking first anniversary while 'minute of noise' will be held on metro system A memorial to the victims of terrorism will be unveiled in Brussels on the first anniversary of the attacks that killed 32 people and injured more than 320. "Wounded but still standing in the face of the unthinkable" is the name of the memorial sculpture, a pair of stainless steel slabs bending to the sky in a gesture of hope. |
| North Korea 'accelerates' nuclear plan and is 'not afraid' of more US sanctions Posted: 21 Mar 2017 02:21 PM PDT North Korean diplomat said 'hostile activities' of US and South Korea have pushed development of 'pre-emptive first strike capability' forward North Korea has nothing to fear from any US move to broaden sanctions aimed at cutting it off from the global financial system and will pursue "acceleration" of its nuclear and missile programmes, according to a senior diplomat. This includes developing a "pre-emptive first strike capability" and an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), said Choe Myong-nam, deputy ambassador at the DPRK (North Korean) mission to the United Nations in Geneva. Continue reading... |
| Coal in 'freefall' as new power plants dive by two-thirds Posted: 22 Mar 2017 01:25 AM PDT Green groups' report says move to cleaner energy in China and India is discouraging the building of coal-fired units The amount of new coal power being built around the world fell by nearly two-thirds last year, prompting campaigners to claim the polluting fossil fuel was in freefall. The dramatic decline in new coal-fired units was overwhelmingly due to policy shifts in China and India and subsequent declining investment prospects, according to a report by Greenpeace, the US-based Sierra Club and research network CoalSwarm. Continue reading... |
| Womb cancer risk grows with extra waist weight, study suggests Posted: 21 Mar 2017 05:01 PM PDT Every increase of 0.1 units in the ratio between waist and hip raises the risk of developing the disease by 21%, researchers say Women who have a higher waist to hip ratio could have an increased risk of womb cancer, a study suggests. Researchers writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that for every increase of 0.1 units in the ratio between waist and hip, the risk of developing the disease increased by 21%. Continue reading... |
| Fox drops analyst who said UK might have helped spy on Trump Posted: 21 Mar 2017 05:40 AM PDT Network source says Andrew Napolitano ditched after claiming UK spies might have aided Obama in alleged wiretapping Fox News has dropped a legal analyst who claimed British intelligence might have helped spy on Donald Trump during his bid to become US president. Andrew Napolitano had been pulled from the channel, a source at Fox said. The network made no immediate comment on Monday. Continue reading... |
| Land rights activist shot dead in Brazilian Amazon hospital Posted: 21 Mar 2017 09:46 AM PDT
Five armed men have burst into a small-town hospital in the Brazilian Amazon, surrounded security guards and shot dead a prominent land rights activist, in the latest deadly attack on land campaigners. Waldomiro Costa Pereira, an activist with the Landless Workers Movement (MST) was killed on Monday when gunmen stormed the hospital in Parauapebas in north-eastern Brazil's Pará state, campaigners said in a statement. Continue reading... |
| Experts criticize US electronic devices ban on some flights from Middle East Posted: 21 Mar 2017 06:15 AM PDT Technologists say new rules against electronics 'larger than a cellphone' on flights from 10 airports seem illogical and at odds with basic computer science The US government's unexpected ban on laptops, iPads and other electronics "larger than a cellphone" on flights from 10 airports in the Middle East has sparked criticism from technology experts, who say the new rules appear to be at odds with basic computer science. Related: US bans larger electronic devices on some flights from Middle East Continue reading... |
| Cut it out: Canada bars diplomats from using cardboard Justin Trudeau figures Posted: 21 Mar 2017 09:23 AM PDT Though some anticipated 'serious selfie action' with the cutouts, Conservatives said they were 'a perfect metaphor' for what the prime minister represented Related: Matthew Perry beat up Justin Trudeau in grade school: 'I'm not bragging' He is tall and handsome – if perhaps somewhat lacking in depth – and never objects to posing for a selfie. Continue reading... |
| Martin McGuinness: Sinn Féin leaders help carry coffin home in Derry Posted: 21 Mar 2017 11:33 AM PDT Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill among mourners accompanying coffin through Derry, a city riven by sectarian division As sleet began to fall on the funeral procession, an Irish tricolour at half-mast fluttered in the bitingly cold wind. Another was draped over Martin McGuinness's coffin. Continue reading... |
| Uber executives defend embattled CEO in latest damage-control effort Posted: 21 Mar 2017 02:45 PM PDT Board member Arianna Huffington and other executives repeatedly said they support Travis Kalanick despite weeks of turmoil and public relations crises Top executives at Uber defended its CEO, Travis Kalanick, on Tuesday, claiming that the company roiled by scandals can "fundamentally change" its culture with the embattled founder at the helm. Board member Arianna Huffington and two executives repeatedly said they supported Kalanick during a conference call with reporters. The call was the latest damage-control effort at the ride-sharing company, which has faced weeks of turmoil and public relations crises including a massive sexual harassment scandal, a series of high-profile departures, an explosive intellectual property lawsuit and revelations that the company used secret software to deceive law enforcement. Continue reading... |
| Protesters in DC confront Honduran president over Berta Cáceres murder Posted: 21 Mar 2017 01:27 PM PDT Supporters and family demand independent investigation into activist's killing after current and former military officers arrested Supporters and family members of Berta Cáceres, the Honduran environmental and indigenous rights activist who was assassinated last year, have confronted the country's president in Washington to demand an independent investigation of her murder. President Juan Orlando Hernández traveled to Washington to meet with lawmakers on Tuesday and was greeted by protesters carrying signs with photographs of murdered activists and chants of "asesino" – Spanish for murderer. Continue reading... |
| US electronics ban for Middle East flights endangers passengers for profit Posted: 21 Mar 2017 12:45 PM PDT Holding many large devices with lithium-ion batteries in cargo could create fire risk that has downed airplanes, as directive only affects foreign-owned carriers A new measure forcing passengers to store all their large electronics in the hold may have disastrous consequences, say airline experts – and the only security that measure will provide is financial security to American carriers. Related: Experts criticize US electronic devices ban on some flights from Middle East Continue reading... |
| Oil theft 'provides billions for terrorists and drug cartels' Posted: 21 Mar 2017 11:12 AM PDT $1bn of oil is stolen in Mexico each year, while EU loses massive revenues, says the Atlantic Council thinktank Oil theft is fuelling terrorist groups and drug cartels around the world, according to a new analysis. Mexican drug gangs can earn $90,000 (£72,000) in seven minutes from tapping a pipeline of refined oil, while insurgents in Nigeria financially benefit from a share of the third of the country's refined oil exports that is lost to theft, said the Atlantic Council. Continue reading... |
| Thousands of Mumbai doctors strike after assaults on hospital staff Posted: 21 Mar 2017 07:54 AM PDT Hospitals in chaos after at least 2,000 junior doctors boycott wards claiming emotional distress and fear of assault Thousands of doctors have gone on strike in Mumbai to protest against violence in hospitals, after three medics were attacked on wards in the last week. At least 2,000 junior doctors at 17 government hospitals have taken unpaid leave for the second day in a row, claiming emotional distress and fear of assault. Continue reading... |
| Hong Kong's Art Basel exhibition – in pictures Posted: 22 Mar 2017 01:35 AM PDT The fifth Art Basel in Hong Kong runs from 23 to 24 March, and hosts about 242 galleries from 34 countries and regions around the world Continue reading... |
| How Finland solved homelessness | Interview: Juha Kaakinen Posted: 22 Mar 2017 12:26 AM PDT The Nordic country is the only EU state not in the midst of a housing crisis. Juha Kaakinen of the Y-Foundation explains how Housing First works This week's report by EU housing organisation Feantsa has found every country in the EU in the midst of a crisis of homelessness and housing exclusion – with one exception: Finland. Continue reading... |
| 30 years in the life of one Chinese square – in pictures Posted: 22 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PDT For three decades, Chen Zhixian has captured the action in the People's Square of Jincheng. Moving from black and white to colour, then slide film and now digital, the only constant in his photos has been the statue of Chairman Mao Continue reading... |
| Why denying refugees the right to work is a catastrophic error | Paul Collier and Alexander Betts Posted: 21 Mar 2017 11:00 PM PDT It's not just fleeing conflict that makes victims out of refugees – it's also denying them the means to become autonomous and productive From the 1980s on, a dominant international approach has been taken towards the majority of the world's refugees. Concentrated in a small number of host countries, close to war zones, displaced people have been settled in what have become known as "humanitarian silos". Such places are usually remote, arid, dangerous and almost always have strict prohibitions on socio-economic activity. They are designed to deal only with the emergency phase of refugee intake, and yet the model has endured, leaving individuals and families stranded for years at a time. This strategy undermines autonomy and dignity. It also erodes human potential by focusing almost exclusively on people's vulnerabilities, rather than on rebuilding their lives. Inevitably, many of those directly affected by it become disillusioned and choose to move on, gravitating towards urban areas in the host nation or risking their lives crossing oceans to other countries. Continue reading... |
| North Korea missile test ends in failure – reports Posted: 21 Mar 2017 10:53 PM PDT Missile appears to have exploded in midair seconds after launch, days after the regime claimed a major breakthrough in rocket development North Korea's latest missile launch appeared to have ended in failure on Wednesday, South Korean defence officials said, three days after the North claimed a major breakthrough in its rocket development program. The reported launch failure comes as the North is angrily reacting to ongoing annual US-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. Earlier this month, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles that landed in waters off Japan, triggering strong protests from Seoul and Tokyo. Continue reading... |
| What support does your employer give to fathers? Posted: 22 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PDT Many fathers report a lack of workplace flexibility and say employers are unsupportive of their family responsibilities. Share your experiences with us Workplace support for fathers is to be examined by the Women and Equalities Committee on Wednesday, following an inquiry into whether workplaces are providing adequate assistance to fathers so they can care for their children. Twice the number of fathers compared to mothers believe that working flexibly will negatively impact on their career and will be viewed as less committed, with 44 per cent saying they had lied or bent the truth to their employer about family-related responsibilities. Continue reading... |
| World Water Day: one in four children will live with water scarcity by 2040 Posted: 21 Mar 2017 05:01 PM PDT Unicef report says climate change and conflict are intensifying risks to children of living without enough water, and that the poorest will suffer most One in four of the world's children will be living in areas with extremely limited water resources by 2040 as a result of climate change, the UN has warned. Within two decades, 600 million children will be in regions enduring extreme water stress, with a great deal of competition for the available supply. The poorest and most disadvantaged will suffer most, according to research published by the children's agency, Unicef, to mark World Water Day on Wednesday. Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump is under investigation for ties to Russia. What happens now? Posted: 22 Mar 2017 12:31 AM PDT Monday's intelligence hearing highlighted the 'big gray cloud' of suspicion hanging over the White House. Here's what happened – and what to expect A presidency under open-ended investigation for its ties to Russia. A director of the FBI, himself key in aiding the president's election, not only confirming that inquiry but refuting the president's claim of illegal surveillance by his predecessor. The first open hearing into Donald Trump's alleged Russia connections on Monday ensured that the US president will operate under a cloud of suspicion until either the various inquiries deliver credible public conclusions or Trump leaves office, whichever comes first. Continue reading... |
| Cory Bernardi surprises Coalition by signalling opposition to childcare reforms Posted: 22 Mar 2017 12:36 AM PDT Sources say Australian Conservatives senator has expressed objections about 'a catch-22 situation in childcare The former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has signalled he is unlikely to support the government's childcare reforms as backroom wrangling intensifies over the $1.6bn package. Government sources have told Guardian Australia that Bernardi has expressed objections about "a catch-22 situation" in childcare where more government funding has resulted in higher prices for families. Continue reading... |
| Wednesday briefing: Labour is shrinking. Blame the leadership? Posted: 21 Mar 2017 11:39 PM PDT Party membership to fall below half a million … 'supersized' prisons for England and Wales … plus, what would it take to impeach Donald Trump? Good morning, Warren Murray with today's briefing. Continue reading... |
| Hong Kong elects a new chief executive: what you need to know Posted: 21 Mar 2017 07:00 PM PDT On March 26, Hong Kong will elect its next leader, known as the chief executive, for the first time since widespread protests over democratisation Hong Kong will elect the next head of the city, known as the chief executive, for a five-year term on 26 March. This is the first election for the city's top job since dissatisfaction with the pace of democratisation sparked widespread street protests in 2014. Continue reading... |
| Abortion decriminalised in Northern Territory after long campaign Posted: 21 Mar 2017 06:31 PM PDT Labor-led parliament votes 20 to four to amend Medical Services Act and widen access to RU486 termination drug The Northern Territory has decriminalised abortion and widened access for women, including use of the RU486 termination drug. After a years-long public campaign and failed attempts during the previous administration, the Labor-led parliament voted 20 votes to four on Tuesday in favour of a bill to amend the NT Medical Services Act and the criminal code. Labor members were given a conscience vote. Continue reading... |
| 'Better de-horned than dead' – zoo chops rhino horns to foil poachers Posted: 21 Mar 2017 06:25 PM PDT Czech zoo takes saw to the horns of its 21 rhinoceroses in response to deadly attack at Paris wildlife park this month A Czech zoo has started to remove the horns from its 21 rhinos as a precaution after the recent killing of a rhinoceros at a wildlife park in France by assailants who stole the animal's horn. With rhino horns considered a wonder cure in Asia – for everything from cancer, colds and fevers to high blood pressure, hangovers, impotence and other ailments – poachers have killed thousands of the animals in Africa and elsewhere. Continue reading... |
| 'Gay panic' murder defence thrown out in Queensland Posted: 21 Mar 2017 04:21 PM PDT Gay rights campaigners welcome end of 'archaic' legal provision, which allowed defendants to argue for a reduction to manslaughter, but say they're surprised it took so long Gay rights campaigners have welcomed Queensland's move to abolish the so-called "gay panic" defence to murder but say they don't know why it took so long. The partial defence to murder had allowed defendants to argue for a reduction to manslaughter by claiming an unwanted homosexual advance provoked violence. Continue reading... |
| French interior minister resigns over jobs for daughters – video Posted: 21 Mar 2017 01:34 PM PDT French interior minister Bruno Le Roux confirms his resignation on Tuesday, hours after the financial prosecutor's office announced they were putting him under preliminary investigation for parliamentary jobs he secured for his daughters during their school holidays. Le Roux says he is stepping down so as to not distract from the work of the government Continue reading... |
| UK bans laptops and tablets on flights from six Middle East countries Posted: 21 Mar 2017 12:32 PM PDT Nothing larger than smartphone allowed in cabins on planes from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia The UK government has announced a sweeping cabin ban on laptops and tablets on inbound flights from six countries, following a similar move by the US on Monday. The UK ban on any electronic item larger than a normal smartphone applies to all direct passenger flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Continue reading... |
| EU borders and the devil in the detail of Brexit | Letters Posted: 21 Mar 2017 11:45 AM PDT Your report (EU terror report warns of big security gaps, 14 March) revealed gaps in the ability of European authorities to monitor the movements of terrorist suspects. On Wednesday I shall be joining colleagues to mark the first anniversary of the attacks on Brussels' airport and metro system. The security taskforce union report from which you quote identifies areas of concern. It is evidence of how the European commission, working together with member states, is seeking to learn lessons from past attacks in order to fill the gaps that terrorists exploit to do us harm. In fact, all of the challenges described in the taskforce report have been or are being addressed. The non-systematic check of EU citizens, for instance, has been fixed by making changes to the Schengen borders code. Soon we will see the introduction of using biometric data for searches at borders. This will clamp down on document and identity fraud. Police can and will respond to intelligence with more checks in border areas. Data is our frontline defence and we are working to ensure the interoperability of all EU databases so that police officers and border guards on the frontline have access to the information they need in real time. Continue reading... |
| The west failed Russia at a crucial time. Now we’re paying the price | Letters Posted: 21 Mar 2017 11:44 AM PDT Your long articles on money laundering by Russia (From Russia with a love of anonymity, 21 March) make a powerful case for action, but we must go back to its origins if we are to understand how it happened and to avoid any repetition. The fact is that the west failed Russia at a crucial time – and encouraged the fatal opening to external exploitative capitalism at a time when Russia and the other Soviet republics had no effective means of regulating incoming financiers with an eye to the main chance. Nor did the initial Russian governments have the strength to prevent the exploitation of its natural resources by its own skilful capitalists. The problems we face today with Russian politics and economics stem directly from this western failure. It is interesting that George Soros is on record as making the same analysis. Continue reading... |
| Police to examine 'Global Laundromat' money laundering allegations Posted: 21 Mar 2017 11:33 AM PDT Minister tells MPs FCA and police will look closely at Guardian reports that UK banks processed $740m from Russian operation Fraud investigators have launched a review of the activities of Britain's high street banks following revelations in the Guardian about a $20bn money laundering scam that MPs described as a national disgrace and scandal. Forced to answer urgent questions in the House of Commons, the Treasury minister Simon Kirby announced the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) would be examining allegations that Britain's banks processed vast amounts of tainted money from Russian criminals without noticing. Continue reading... |
| String of attacks across Guatemala lead to deaths of three policemen Posted: 21 Mar 2017 08:09 AM PDT Police say gangs carried out attacks after rioting on Sunday to demand the return of members who had been transferred to a juvenile detention center Three policemen have been killed and seven others wounded in a string of attacks across Guatemala, authorities said, hours after a bloody gang riot in a juvenile detention center was put down in the Central American nation. One of the policemen died of his wounds in a hospital on Tuesday morning, and a civilian was also injured in the attacks, authorities said. |
| Claim that MP lied about Kenya massacre 'may be in contempt of parliament' Posted: 21 Mar 2017 08:07 AM PDT Foreign Office intervenes in Mau Mau case after court hears colonies secretary may have misled MPs 60 years ago Lawyers acting for 40,000 Kenyans who claim they were variously tortured, mistreated and raped during the suppression of the 1950s Mau Mau rebellion have been warned by the Foreign Office that their arguments in court could be in "contempt of parliament". The extraordinary manoeuvre by government officials follows courtroom evidence alleging that a former colonial secretary of state, who died more than 30 years ago, may have withheld information from MPs about a notorious massacre of rebel detainees almost 60 years ago. Continue reading... |
| French interior minister investigated over daughters' holiday jobs Posted: 21 Mar 2017 08:02 AM PDT Bruno Le Roux admits paying his children €55,000 over seven years as François Fillon 'fake jobs' investigation continues France's interior minister is under attack for employing his teenage daughters as parliamentary assistants during their school holidays as investigations continue into the former presidential frontrunner François Fillon paying family members from public funds. Bruno Le Roux was summoned to explain himself to the prime minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, on Tuesday after admitting he paid his children €55,000 (£48,000) of public money over seven years to work as his parliamentary assistants. Continue reading... |
| The world's northernmost surf school – in pictures Posted: 21 Mar 2017 06:22 AM PDT Unstad, located among the Lofoten Islands off Norway's west coast, is an increasingly popular spot for Arctic surfing. The magnificent light conditions and turbulent waters in this wilderness outpost lure artists and sports enthusiasts alike. Instead of encountering sharks like in tropical waters, surfers in Lofoten are more likely to see a colony of seals and, if they are lucky, the northern lights Continue reading... |
| Jesus’s tomb reopens after nine-month restoration – video Posted: 21 Mar 2017 05:21 AM PDT The newly restored site of Jesus Christ's tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City was opened to the media on Monday after a nine-month restoration. Led by a team of Greek scientists and restorers, the project focused on the Edicule, a small structure located above the spot where Jesus's body was buried, according to Christian belief Continue reading... |
| Russia accused of hindering UK money laundering investigations Posted: 21 Mar 2017 04:53 AM PDT Head of National Crime Agency unit says Russian officials will not say if money entering UK is from proceeds of crime Britain is struggling to stop vast sums of potentially criminal money entering the country because investigators are being hampered by the Russian authorities, the head of the National Crime Agency money laundering unit has said. In an interview with the Guardian, David Little said: "The amount of Russian money coming into the UK is a concern. "One, because of the volume. Two, we don't know where it is coming from. We don't have enough cooperation [from the Russian side] to establish that. They won't tell us whether it comes from the proceeds of crime." Continue reading... |
| China goes west: a ghost city in the sand comes to life Posted: 21 Mar 2017 08:42 AM PDT Mountains have been flattened and villages bulldozed to build Lanzhou New Area in China's wild west. Four years ago Tom Phillips met empty streets and an eerie hush, but now he finds this improbable desert mirage finally filling up It was a scheme as bold and eccentric as any to emerge from China's 21st-century sprint towards urbanisation: to build and populate a dazzling metropolis of one million inhabitants deep in the country's barren western hinterlands. In their bid to make this Fitzcarraldo-esque dream a reality there is little Chinese authorities have not tried. Hundreds of mountains and village after village have been bulldozed since construction of Gansu province's Lanzhou New Area began in 2012. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 21 Mar 2017 04:30 AM PDT 一座接一座的高山被铲平，一个接一个的村庄被拆迁，在中国西部的甘肃省，兰州新区的建设正如火如荼地进行着。四年前，汤姆·菲利普斯第一次到访兰州新区时，空荡荡的街道让整个城区安静地有些诡异。上个月，当他再次来到这里，曾经如海市蜃楼般的美好幻境如今却逐渐变得真实起来。
在中国贫穷的内陆腹地建设一座人口百万令人炫目的大都市，这是诸多大胆而古怪的中国21世纪城市化进程中的一例。 Continue reading... |
| Identity politics and intolerance a barrier to development, says UN report Posted: 21 Mar 2017 07:23 AM PDT Annual human development index cites Brexit as an example of a nationalist agenda that could hold back progress on the global goals Nationalism and identity politics – of which Brexit is one of the latest examples – are barriers to development among the most marginalised groups in society, according to a UN report. The annual human development index said that at a time when global action and collaboration were imperative in achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030, exclusion and intolerance could prevent progress reaching everyone. "Brexit is one of the most recent examples of a retreat to nationalism … " the report said. "Intolerance of others in all its forms – legal, social or coercive – is antithetical to human development." Continue reading... |
| Appeal to fight hunger in east Africa, and the US cuts that pose a threat to women Posted: 21 Mar 2017 06:57 AM PDT Disasters Emergency Committee calls for urgent funds for 16 million people facing hunger, and the US lines up with world's worst abusers of women's rights 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 The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched a major appeal to help the 16 million people facing hunger across east Africa. Ben Quinn visited the self-declared state of Somaliland, reporting on the 6 million people in urgent need of food assistance in Somalia: in the towns and villages he visited there was little sign of help arriving. In South Sudan, where famine has been declared, Simona Foltyn found aid delivery under threat from armed fighters. At the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, Liz Ford reported that President Trump's reintroduction of the global gag rule places the US side-by-side with some of the world's worst women's rights abusers. Activists warn that the gag rule will harm tens of thousands of vulnerable women. Continue reading... |
| Inquiry clears World Vision Gaza of diverting funds to Hamas Posted: 21 Mar 2017 04:17 AM PDT Australian government review finds no evidence for Israel's 2016 allegations that the NGO siphoned off millions of dollars a year to the Islamist group An Australian government probe has found no evidence taxpayer money was misused by the NGO World Vision in the Gaza Strip, after Israel alleged millions of dollars were diverted to Hamas. In August 2016, Israel accused World Vision's Gaza head, Mohammad El Halabi, of siphoning off millions of dollars a year to the Islamist group that rules the Palestinian enclave – claims the NGO said it had seen no evidence for. Continue reading... |
| Will Trump be impeached – or is it just a liberal fantasy? Posted: 22 Mar 2017 12:30 AM PDT Only two presidents in history have been impeached, but murmurs continue to surround Trump. Here's how the process would work – if it would at all On 21 July 2007, George W Bush underwent surgery to have five polyps removed after what was described as a routine colonoscopy. The date may have been lost to history, but for the rare invocation at the time of a constitutional amendment laying out how the transfer of power to the vice-president works in cases of presidential disability. For 125 minutes – as long as it took for Bush to enter and emerge from partial anesthesia, eat breakfast and display possession of his native wit – Dick Cheney held all the powers attached to the office of the presidency. (Some wags have suggested that Cheney wielded that authority, unofficially, over a much longer time span.) Continue reading... |
| Is Rex Tillerson the weakest secretary of state of all time? | Isaac Stone Fish Posted: 21 Mar 2017 03:00 AM PDT He has seemingly met with roughly the same number of heads of state over the last few months as Trump's daughter Ivanka The audio transcript of Tillerson's first sit-down interview since becoming secretary of state, with a reporter from the conservative news agency the Independent Journal Review, makes for uncomfortable listening. The interview, which took place last week during Tillerson's first overseas trip, to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing, began with a discussion over why the secretary of state did not dine with a South Korean delegation in Seoul. |
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