World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Revealed: the terror and torment of Turkey's jailed journalists
- Italy's Five Star Movement blamed for surge in measles cases
- Beijing motorists turn to hand-pulled ferry to beat rush-hour traffic
- Trump-Russia inquiry in 'grave doubt' after GOP chair briefs White House
- Arctic ice falls to record winter low after polar 'heatwaves'
- Chinese premier warns Australia 'taking sides' could lead to new cold war
- Donald Trump Jr called 'a disgrace' for tweet goading London mayor Sadiq Khan
- Sale of Cambodian breast milk to mothers in US criticised by UN
- Rotavirus vaccine could save lives of almost 500,000 children a year
- Apple paid no tax in New Zealand for at least a decade, reports say
- Young girl steals Pope Francis's skullcap
- Smartphone app could allow men to test their fertility at home
- House committee asks for documents on Michael Flynn's foreign contacts
- Germany to overturn convictions of gay men prosecuted after war
- Congolese warlord sentenced over witness bribing in Hague court first
- Israeli archaeologists unearth liquor bottles from first world war
- Paul Manafort reportedly offered to help Putin advance Moscow's interests
- Ukraine bans Russia's Eurovision entrant over Crimea tour
- London attack: police confirm seven people arrested – live
- UK retail sales surge as consumers shrug off Brexit fears - business live
- Trump's commerce secretary oversaw Russia deal while at Bank of Cyprus
- US immigrants make sub-zero trek for slim chance at asylum in Canada
- Shinzo Abe and wife accused of giving cash to ultra-nationalist school
- Beware the 'horrible hangover' from nationalism, EU leader Frans Timmermans warns
- 'Sometimes I laugh at this farce': six writers on life behind bars in Turkey
- No EU trade deal is better than a bad deal? Don’t bet on it, Theresa May | Jonathan Portes
- Rex Tillerson says US will set up safe zones for refugees from Isis
- Coalition to push company tax changes without splitting off small business cuts
- What do we mean when we say ‘white working class’?
- Thursday briefing: London bloodied but unbowed
- South Korean ferry in which hundreds died raised after three years
- Why becoming a tax haven would be bad news for Britain
- How to close down the Laundromat | Letters
- Not looking like your parents is now normal | Letters
- Reindeer herders kept going under the Nazis | Brief letters
- Dozens of civilians killed in US-led airstrike on Isis stronghold in Syria
- 'As countries go it really is the golden ticket': readers on living in Norway
- Grayling denies UK laptop ban is due to lax airport security
- 'She stole his hat!’: young girl borrows pope's skullcap - video
- Best photographs of the day: rollercoasters and the pope
- How the Brussels terror attacks unfolded – video explainer
- Fillon 'got $50k to fix meeting between Putin and Lebanese billionaire'
- How have you been affected by the flight ban on laptops and tablets?
- Gay clergyman turned down as Welsh bishop 'blocked twice before'
- Europe's treatment of child refugees 'risks increasing radicalisation threat'
- Lawyer for family of Russian whistleblower falls from fourth floor
- British victim sat next to Brussels bomber on metro, inquest told
- Welcome to Yiwu: China's testing ground for a multicultural city
- 我的家乡温岭曾经连红绿灯都没有，而如今已有140万人口
- Uber for bikes: how 'dockless' cycles flooded China – and are heading overseas
- Support building for landmark move to overturn El Salvador's anti-abortion law
- East Africa hunger appeal supported by Eddie Redmayne hits £30m in a week
- Dam project promises water – but also conflict – for dusty Afghan border lands
- White House-GCHQ row reveals a leader willing to alienate allies to save face
- Trump and Russia: top Democrat casts doubts over independence of investigation – video
- Paul Manafort revelations 'not linked to Trump', White House says – video
- Fired analyst speaks about Muslims' 'challenges' in FBI – video
| Revealed: the terror and torment of Turkey's jailed journalists Posted: 23 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PDT Prisoners tell of solitary confinement and maltreatment after being caught up in 'Kafkaesque' media purge Scores of imprisoned Turkish journalists face a Kafkaesque nightmare of legal limbo, farcical charge sheets, maltreatment and even solitary confinement in the country that locks up more reporters than any other in the world. A series of Guardian interviews and written exchanges with several of those jailed as a result of a sweeping media crackdown found a huge mental burden on the incarcerated, as well as tough social and intellectual restrictions. Continue reading... |
| Italy's Five Star Movement blamed for surge in measles cases Posted: 22 Mar 2017 11:10 PM PDT Italian health official makes accusation against populist party, which proposed anti-vaccination law in 2015 An Italian health official has blamed an alarming rise in measles cases on the populist Five Star Movement (M5S), which has campaigned on an anti-vaccination platform and has repeated discredited links between vaccinations and autism. According to the health ministry, more than 700 cases of the highly contagious disease have been registered so far in 2017, compared with 220 for the same period last year and 844 in the whole of 2016. Continue reading... |
| Beijing motorists turn to hand-pulled ferry to beat rush-hour traffic Posted: 22 Mar 2017 10:47 PM PDT It can transport only one car at a time but drivers commuting from nearby town can save nearly an hour on their trip There have been plenty of high-tech solutions to tackle gridlock – self-driving cars, analysis of traffic patterns – but some drivers in Beijing have gone the other way, crossing a river on a hand-pulled wooden ferry, one car at a time. Continue reading... |
| Trump-Russia inquiry in 'grave doubt' after GOP chair briefs White House Posted: 22 Mar 2017 04:15 PM PDT Democratic representative Adam Schiff calls for independent investigation after Devin Nunes shared information with Trump administration before committee The top Democrat on one of the congressional committees investigating ties between Donald Trump and Russia has raised "grave doubt" over the viability of the inquiry after its Republican chairman shared information with the White House and not their committee colleagues. In the latest wild development surrounding the Russia inquiry that has created an air of scandal around Trump, Democrat Adam Schiff effectively called his GOP counterpart, Devin Nunes, a proxy for the White House, questioning his conduct. Continue reading... |
| Arctic ice falls to record winter low after polar 'heatwaves' Posted: 22 Mar 2017 11:00 AM PDT Extent of ice over North pole has fallen to a new wintertime low, for the third year in a row, as climate change drives freakish weather The extent of Arctic ice has fallen to a new wintertime low, as climate change drives freakishly high temperatures in the polar regions. The ice cap grows during the winter months and usually reaches its maximum in early March. But the 2017 maximum was 14.4m sq km, lower than any year in the 38-year satellite record, according to researchers at the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) and Nasa. Continue reading... |
| Chinese premier warns Australia 'taking sides' could lead to new cold war Posted: 22 Mar 2017 10:06 PM PDT Li Keqiang says Beijing pursues foreign policy of peace and seeks 'development paths suited to our traditions' The Chinese premier, Li Keqiang, has warned China does not want to see a new cold war, emphasising that throughout his country's history, peace has "always been the most precious thing". With increasing tensions in the South China Sea a significant backdrop to his visit to Australia, Li told parliamentarians in Canberra on Thursday that China did not want to see countries "taking sides, as happened during the cold war". Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump Jr called 'a disgrace' for tweet goading London mayor Sadiq Khan Posted: 23 Mar 2017 12:21 AM PDT
Donald Trump Jr is facing a backlash for criticizing London mayor Sadiq Khan with a scornful tweet sent hours after an attack at the Houses of Parliament left four dead, including a police officer. Related: Westminster attack: parliament resumes with tributes to PC Keith Palmer – live Continue reading... |
| Sale of Cambodian breast milk to mothers in US criticised by UN Posted: 22 Mar 2017 09:29 AM PDT UN agency says trade puts babies of poor and vulnerable at risk of malnutrition as Cambodia moves to block further exports The UN children's fund has strongly criticised the sale by a commercial company of breast milk donated by Cambodian mothers to women in the US, warning it could lead to the babies of poor and vulnerable women becoming malnourished. Unicef condemned the trade by Utah-based company Ambrosia Labs as the Cambodian government intervened. Cambodia's customs department said the finance minister, Aun Porn Moniroth, had signed a letter blocking further exports, according to the Associated Press in Phnom Penh. Talks will be held to decide whether the business should be allowed to resume. Continue reading... |
| Rotavirus vaccine could save lives of almost 500,000 children a year Posted: 22 Mar 2017 02:01 PM PDT Positive outcome of trials in Niger fuels hope that vaccine can protect children in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond from infection that causes often fatal diarrhoea A vaccine capable of enduring scorching temperatures for months at a time could strike a decisive blow in the fight against rotavirus, preventing nearly half a million children around the world from dying of diarrhoea each year. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has hailed successful trials of the BRV-PV vaccine in Niger as a "game changer" in tackling rotavirus infection, which is the leading cause of severe diarrhoea globally and claims the lives of an estimated 1,300 children daily, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Continue reading... |
| Apple paid no tax in New Zealand for at least a decade, reports say Posted: 22 Mar 2017 12:05 PM PDT Investigation says company paid nothing to Inland Revenue Department because parent company registered in Australia Reports that Apple has not paid any tax in New Zealand for a decade have prompted experts to voice concerns that much-promised international crackdowns on the problem will fall short of the mark. An investigation by the New Zealand Herald found that Apple had paid nothing to the Inland Revenue Department since at least 2007 because its local operations are run by a parent company registered in Australia. |
| Young girl steals Pope Francis's skullcap Posted: 22 Mar 2017 08:13 AM PDT Blogger posts video of girl grabbing pontiff's headgear, known as a zucchetto, before giving it back A young girl has been filmed stealing Pope Francis's skullcap, known as a zucchetto, as he bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. The footage was posted on Twitter on Wednesday by a blogger named Mountain Butorac: Continue reading... |
| Smartphone app could allow men to test their fertility at home Posted: 22 Mar 2017 12:07 PM PDT Gadget designed to clip onto a smartphone able to detect abnormal sperm samples with 98% accuracy in trials Men may soon be able to measure their own sperm count and quality at home, using a smartphone app developed by scientists. In early tests the gadget, designed to clip onto a smartphone, detected abnormal sperm samples with an accuracy of 98%. Continue reading... |
| House committee asks for documents on Michael Flynn's foreign contacts Posted: 22 Mar 2017 10:35 AM PDT Request for details about former national security adviser's dealings with foreign governments comes after reports he did not sign lobbying ethics pledge A House committee wants the White House and Trump administration officials to detail all the payments and contacts that former national security adviser Michael Flynn had with foreign government representatives spanning the past three years. The bipartisan letter by top members of the House oversight and government reform committee came as the Daily Beast reported that Flynn did not sign an ethics pledge the Trump administration had said would apply to all appointees. Continue reading... |
| Germany to overturn convictions of gay men prosecuted after war Posted: 22 Mar 2017 08:38 AM PDT Men who are still alive will get compensation for what they suffered under Paragraph 175 against homosexuality Germany's cabinet has approved a bill to overturn the convictions of thousands of gay men who were prosecuted after the second world war. Gay men convicted between 1949 and 1969 who are still alive are expected to be given financial compensation for the suffering they endured under the legislation, known as Paragraph 175, which forbade sexual relations between men. Continue reading... |
| Congolese warlord sentenced over witness bribing in Hague court first Posted: 22 Mar 2017 07:21 AM PDT DRC's Jean-Pierre Bemba already serving 18-year term for war crimes, with new 12-month sentence to run consecutively A former warlord and ex-vice-president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been sentenced by the international criminal court to a year in jail and fined €300,000 (£260,000) for bribing witnesses during an earlier war crimes trial at the ICC. Jean-Pierre Bemba is already serving an 18-year sentence for war crimes committed by his marauding troops, which he sent into Central African Republic in 2002-03 to put down a coup against the then president. Continue reading... |
| Israeli archaeologists unearth liquor bottles from first world war Posted: 22 Mar 2017 09:12 AM PDT Hundreds of whisky and gin bottles found at remains of British army barracks near town of Ramle Archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of whisky and gin bottles at the remains of a first world war British army barracks in the centre of Israel. The Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement that the camp, near the town of Ramle, was used by an expeditionary force under Gen Edmund Allenby for about nine months from November 1917 during a pause in the campaign against the Turkish army in Palestine. Continue reading... |
| Paul Manafort reportedly offered to help Putin advance Moscow's interests Posted: 22 Mar 2017 06:40 AM PDT Former Trump campaign chief proposed strategy in 2005 where he would influence US politics in a way that would benefit Russia, AP reports Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort once offered to help Vladimir Putin advance Moscow's interests as part of a multimillion-dollar contract agreed with a Russian billionaire with close ties to the Kremlin, it has been reported. According to a report by the Associated Press released on Wednesday, Manafort proposed a confidential strategy in 2005 whereby he would influence US politics, business dealings and news coverage inside the US, Europe and the former Soviet republics, in a way that would benefit the Putin government. Continue reading... |
| Ukraine bans Russia's Eurovision entrant over Crimea tour Posted: 22 Mar 2017 08:41 AM PDT Yulia Samoylova barred from song contest because she entered Crimea without going through de facto border with Ukrainian mainland Ukraine, host nation for the 2017 Eurovision song contest, has banned the Russian entrant from entering the country, citing an unauthorised visit to Crimea. The country's SBU security service said on Wednesday it had banned Yulia Samoilova from Ukraine for three years for her violations of Ukrainian legislation. Continue reading... |
| London attack: police confirm seven people arrested – live Posted: 23 Mar 2017 02:54 AM PDT Seven arrested in six counter-terrorism raids in London, Birmingham and elsewhere following Wednesday's terrorist attack on London
The Scottish parliament's debate and vote on calling for an new independence referendum will resume on Tuesday 28 March – the day before Theresa May triggers article 50 to begin the Brexit process. That vote on Tuesday evening will almost certainly give Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, Holyrood's approval to ask May for the legal powers to stage the referendum just before the prime minister begins the process for leaving the UK. @ScotParl confirms #indyref2 debate and vote now on Tuesday 28 March; party leaders to use #FMQs to mark #Westminster attack pic.twitter.com/hnEqeS6CRm
French authorities have launched an inquiry into the London attack after it became clear three French schoolchildren were wounded, two of them seriously. The counter-terrorism section of the Paris public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into "attempted assassination related to a terrorist enterprise". |
| UK retail sales surge as consumers shrug off Brexit fears - business live Posted: 23 Mar 2017 02:40 AM PDT Retail sales rose by a stronger-than-expected 1.4% in February as UK consumers took Brexit and rising inflation in their stride
Figures just out show stronger than expected retail sales in February. Sales jumped 1.4%, signalling consumer resilience despite rising inflation and weak wage growth. Economists had forecast far weaker growth of 0.4%. February's retail sales figures show fairly strong growth, though the underlying three-month picture shows falling sales as February's figures follow two consecutive months of decline in December and January. The monthly growth in February is seen across all store types. The underlying trend suggests that rising petrol prices in particular have had a negative effect on the overall quantity of goods bought over the last three months.
Over in France, optimism among firms in the industrial sector fell to a four-month low in March, in a possible sign that uncertainty surrounding the presidential election is starting to weigh on confidence. The business climate index for the industrial sector, published by Insee, fell to 104 points in March from 107 in February. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the index to stay at 107. Continue reading... |
| Trump's commerce secretary oversaw Russia deal while at Bank of Cyprus Posted: 23 Mar 2017 02:27 AM PDT Questions raised over Trump appointee Wilbur Ross and his ties to politically connected Russian oligarchs Wilbur Ross, the Trump administration's new commerce secretary, presided over a deal with a Russian businessman with ties to Vladimir Putin while serving in his previous role as vice-chairman of the Bank of Cyprus. The transaction raises questions about Ross's tenure at the Cypriot bank and his ties to politically connected Russian oligarchs. It comes amid confirmation by the FBI that it is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow to influence the outcome of the presidential election. Continue reading... |
| US immigrants make sub-zero trek for slim chance at asylum in Canada Posted: 23 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PDT More than 1,000 asylum seekers have journeyed on foot through snow and icy river to cross border in remote areas unregulated by pact that bars refugee claims His wet clothes frozen stiff and feet sinking into the deep snow, Mamadou allowed himself a shred of hope when he glimpsed a faint light in the distance. Many hours earlier he had set out for the border just as the sun was setting, trudging through thick woods near Plattsburgh, New York, towards Canada. Continue reading... |
| Shinzo Abe and wife accused of giving cash to ultra-nationalist school Posted: 23 Mar 2017 01:42 AM PDT Kindergarten operator testifies that Akie Abe handed him 1m yen saying it was from her husband Japan's prime minister and his wife have been drawn directly into the growing scandal over an ultra-nationalist kindergarten, with a central figure claiming under oath that the pair made a secret donation. The kindergarten operator testified to parliament that the first lady, Akie Abe, gave him an envelope containing 1m yen (£7,100) and said it was from Shinzo Abe. The government denies the claims. Continue reading... |
| Beware the 'horrible hangover' from nationalism, EU leader Frans Timmermans warns Posted: 23 Mar 2017 01:00 AM PDT Frans Timmermans says EU can withstand Brexit and populism because young people are instinctively European The EU needs to speak to people's "hopes and plans for tomorrow" if Europe is to avoid the "horrible hangover" of nationalism, one of the bloc's most senior leaders has said. As European leaders prepare to gather in Rome on Saturday to mark 60 years of European integration, Frans Timmermans, a vice-president of the European commission, said Europe risked becoming part of the problem if it failed to connect with people in a better way. Continue reading... |
| 'Sometimes I laugh at this farce': six writers on life behind bars in Turkey Posted: 23 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PDT Six persecuted writers describe the mental and physical toll of living in the country that jails more journalists than any other Age 46 Continue reading... |
| No EU trade deal is better than a bad deal? Don’t bet on it, Theresa May | Jonathan Portes Posted: 23 Mar 2017 02:30 AM PDT She talks blithely of 'taking back control'. But this Brexit prime minister is about to find out just how painful divorce always is after a 40-year marriage It's not the beginning of the end (of Brexit) – but it's definitely the end of the beginning. Despite the fixation in the UK on the precise date and legal niceties of the article 50 process, the most important event of the weeks to come will not be the notification itself but the EU response to it, and the political and economic dynamics that sets into motion. If things go according to plan, we're headed for the usual EU negotiating scenario: long interludes of tedium and small print interspersed with episodes of late-night brinkmanship ending eventually in a compromise no one likes, but which everyone will describe as a victory. Continue reading... |
| Rex Tillerson says US will set up safe zones for refugees from Isis Posted: 22 Mar 2017 02:26 PM PDT
Rex Tillerson has said the United States would set up "interim zones of stability" to help refugees return home in the next phase of the fight against Islamic State and al-Qaida in Syria and Iraq. The US secretary of state did not make clear where these zones were to be set up. He was addressing a meeting of 68 countries and organizations gathered in Washington to discuss accelerating the battle against Isis. Continue reading... |
| Coalition to push company tax changes without splitting off small business cuts Posted: 23 Mar 2017 01:07 AM PDT Treasurer says he will not divide package to ensure small business cuts, which are supported by crossbenchers, get through Scott Morrison has confirmed the Coalition will try to force its $48bn corporate tax cut package through parliament as a whole, rather than splitting it into two smaller packages. But he has declined to say if he will include the package in the upcoming budget if it fails to pass the Senate next week. Continue reading... |
| What do we mean when we say ‘white working class’? Posted: 23 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PDT A new report says that the term – now favoured political shorthand – is employed for divisive purposes by the left and the right. So does it have a use, or does it simply turn poorer Britons into 'moon specimens'? At my primary and secondary schools in the 1980s and early 90s, we were all working class. We lived together on a peripheral estate outside Birmingham; our parents did routine jobs or were out of work; and, at 16, we were pretty much all expected to leave or go "to the tech" to do childcare or mechanics. These experiences and assumptions were not that different whether we were white, black or brown, because the fact of being working class in a working-class area gave us a sense that our destinies were largely shared. Related: 'White working class': the label that seeks to divide and rule | Faiza Sheheen Continue reading... |
| Thursday briefing: London bloodied but unbowed Posted: 22 Mar 2017 11:33 PM PDT Tributes to victims and the brave after Westminster attack … why the pension age might reach 70 … and moderate drinking may be good for your heart Good morning, it's Warren Murray bringing you the Briefing today. Continue reading... |
| South Korean ferry in which hundreds died raised after three years Posted: 22 Mar 2017 03:31 PM PDT Parents of children lost on the Sewol and not yet recovered are maintaining a vigil at the site of the salvage operation Salvage operators have raised South Korea's sunken Sewol ferry, nearly three years after the ship sank, killing more than 300 people and dealing a crippling blow to now-ousted president Park Geun-Hye. Related: Soul-searching in South Korea after a disaster waiting to happen Continue reading... |
| Why becoming a tax haven would be bad news for Britain Posted: 22 Mar 2017 11:30 AM PDT Theresa May and Philip Hammond have warned the EU that if they don't like the Brexit deal, they could turn the UK into a tax haven. The truth is that being 'offshore' means being unfair and undemocratic – and you still pay tax Most of us take democracy for granted, but you would have to think again if you lived in a tax haven. Singapore has had the same party in power since 1959. Jersey, meanwhile, has never had a general election, the members of its parliament (the States) being subject to re-election at varying times. But at least Jersey has a political party – called Reform Jersey – even if it only holds three seats in the States. All the remaining elected politicians claim to be independents, although they seem to have a decidedly pro-finance approach in common. Neighbouring Guernsey has no parties at all. Continue reading... |
| How to close down the Laundromat | Letters Posted: 22 Mar 2017 11:16 AM PDT Because I once worked as an English-speaking money transfer operator in Russian banks, I know perfectly well what Luke Harding, Nick Hopkins and Caelainn Barr are writing about (British banks handled vast sums of laundered Russian money, 20 March). A friendly western chap arrives and installs a secure programme on your PC, you input the banking details of a payment (usually to an offshore company), your boss authorises the transfer with his password, and the funds change hands. Yes, I was a small cog in a giant wheel, but I saw that Russia had perfected your money-laundering and tax-evading practices, with only one payment – to once sanction-stricken Yugoslavia – being intercepted by the US authorities. The schemes may have been invented to tide a punitive taxation period in Russia over, but became the norm and now it's too late to mend. • This case proves yet again that we must do all we can to tackle secret company ownership. The story describes money vanishing into offshore shell firms whose "beneficial owners" remain anonymous, and whose source of wealth is a "mystery". The UK government has led the way in creating a public register of beneficial ownership in the UK. The time has come now to extend this transparency to the UK's overseas territories. Over 50% of the shell companies uncovered in the Panama Papers were set up in the British Virgin Islands. This action is supported by parliamentarians from all major UK political parties. The government should set a timeline in place by when we will have this transparency to help stop further scandals from happening. Continue reading... |
| Not looking like your parents is now normal | Letters Posted: 22 Mar 2017 11:16 AM PDT We read with great interest your article in the Family section (Mum always said I was white, like her, 18 March). While it is an unusual story, it is by no means rare for children to live in families that are not the same in appearance as themselves. The charity People In Harmony exists to support people of mixed race and mixed families/partnerships. In the course of our work we encounter people who struggle with their identity and look very different from their parents and other siblings. Sometimes this is just a matter of siblings having different skin tones – from white, through brown to black. On other occasions children may indeed be "genetic throwbacks" to use the terminology in the article. Continue reading... |
| Reindeer herders kept going under the Nazis | Brief letters Posted: 22 Mar 2017 11:15 AM PDT Marx and Engels in Cornish | Norwegian borders | Cinema workers | Bike helmets | Sighting of 'anent' Patrick Barkham (Why the Cornish 500 matter, 21 March) criticises the government for withdrawing funding for the Cornish language and reports the Council of Europe's disapproval of the BBC ignoring programming in Cornish. In this Nottingham radical bookshop, we have on our counter Deryvadow Party an Gemynwer, gans Karl Marx ha Frederick Engels in case any passing Cornish readers (or linguists) might be interested in challenging the nature of capitalist society. • Apropos John Palmer's letter (15 March), it is my understanding that Sami reindeer herders had free movement across the Norwegian border even during the second world war. In We Die Alone, David A Howarth's telling of the story of Jan Baalstrud's survival against the odds during the German occupation of Norway, free movement of the Sami across the Norwegian border was instrumental in saving Baalstrud's life. |
| Dozens of civilians killed in US-led airstrike on Isis stronghold in Syria Posted: 22 Mar 2017 08:55 AM PDT At least 33 people killed in coalition strike on school used as refugee centre near jihadi-held town in northern province of Raqqa, says monitor An airstrike by the US-led coalition against Islamic State on a school west of the Syrian city of Raqqa has killed at least 33 people, many of whom had fled nearby fighting, sparking further concerns that new rules of engagements may be causing an increase in civilian casualties. The attack follows a separate US strike on a mosque complex in the north-west of the country last Saturday that killed at least 52 people. The incident triggered fears that a White House-ordered review of rules governing the use of drones had already given military planners more flexibility on ordering strikes. Continue reading... |
| 'As countries go it really is the golden ticket': readers on living in Norway Posted: 22 Mar 2017 07:47 AM PDT Norway recently overtook Denmark as the happiest country to live in according to a landmark survey. But what are the reasons for people's happiness there? It's official. The UN supported World Happiness Report delivered its verdict on Monday 20 March and Norway is the world's happiest country to live in. Norway's Foreign Minister Børge Brende welcomed the announcement earlier this week: Continue reading... |
| Grayling denies UK laptop ban is due to lax airport security Posted: 22 Mar 2017 07:34 AM PDT Transport secretary answers urgent question in Commons over ban on laptops and other electronic devices on flights from eight countries The transport secretary, Chris Grayling, has denied that the UK's decision to impose a cabin baggage ban on laptops and other electronic devices on flights from eight countries meant their airport security was lax. On Tuesday, the UK and US governments announced sweeping cabin bans on laptops and tablets, though different in scope. The UK has banned the items on flights from six countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, with UK airlines including British Airways and EasyJet among those affected. The Department for Transport has said the ban must be implemented by Saturday. |
| 'She stole his hat!’: young girl borrows pope's skullcap - video Posted: 22 Mar 2017 06:43 AM PDT A young girl has been filmed stealing pope Francis' skullcap as he bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. The footage was posted on Twitter on Wednesday by a blogger named Mountain Butorac. His post read: 'Took my goddaughter to meet the pope. She stole his hat!' Continue reading... |
| Best photographs of the day: rollercoasters and the pope Posted: 22 Mar 2017 06:40 AM PDT The Guardian's picture editors bring you a selection of photo highlights from around the world Continue reading... |
| How the Brussels terror attacks unfolded – video explainer Posted: 22 Mar 2017 05:20 AM PDT We summarise the main events in the terrorist attacks on Brussels on 22 March 2016. Two explosions hit the Zaventem airport in Brussels followed by an explosion at Maelbeek metro station. The attacks killed 32 people and injured more than 320 Continue reading... |
| Fillon 'got $50k to fix meeting between Putin and Lebanese billionaire' Posted: 22 Mar 2017 04:22 AM PDT Beleaguered presidential candidate faces fresh allegations over 2015 meeting as prosecutors widen fake jobs inquiry The French presidential candidate François Fillon has been hit by allegations he was paid $50,000 (£40,000) to arrange a meeting between a Lebanese billionaire and Vladimir Putin as prosecutors investigating whether his wife was paid for fake jobs widened their inquiry to look into whether she signed forged documents. The latest accusations came a week after Fillon, 63, was formally put under investigation for a misuse of public funds over the €700,000 of taxpayers' money British-born Penelope Fillon earned for acting as his parliamentary assistant. Continue reading... |
| How have you been affected by the flight ban on laptops and tablets? Posted: 22 Mar 2017 03:05 AM PDT Both the UK and US have enforced a ban on laptops and tablets from certain countries in the Middle East. If you've been affected we'd like to hear from you A sweeping cabin ban on laptops and tablets on inbound flights from six countries, effective immediately, has been announced by the UK government. The 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... |
| Gay clergyman turned down as Welsh bishop 'blocked twice before' Posted: 22 Mar 2017 03:03 AM PDT Jeffrey John says the then archbishop told electors that people in civil partnerships were ineligible for the post A gay Anglican clergyman who has been rejected as the next bishop of Llandaff was allegedly blocked from appointment as a bishop in Wales twice before on the grounds of his civil partnership. Jeffrey John, the dean of St Albans Cathedral, told the Guardian his name was put forward for election as bishop of Bangor in 2008 and mooted as bishop of St Asaph the following year. |
| Europe's treatment of child refugees 'risks increasing radicalisation threat' Posted: 22 Mar 2017 03:00 AM PDT Highly critical report from Council of Europe says current system is unable to cope with sheer number of children fleeing conflict Europe's "abysmal" treatment of refugee children, who have made up about a third of those seeking asylum on the continent over the last two years, will increase the danger of their later radicalisation and drift into criminality, a damning report from the Council of Europe has said. A system that allows the sexual and physical abuse of children in overcrowded detention centres, where they are often separated from their families, will only condemn Europe to trouble in the future the report warns. Continue reading... |
| Lawyer for family of Russian whistleblower falls from fourth floor Posted: 22 Mar 2017 02:52 AM PDT Nikolai Gorokhov, who represents family of Sergei Magnitsky, in intensive care after falling from apartment block A Russian lawyer who represents the family of Sergei Magnitsky is in intensive care after falling from the fourth floor of his apartment building near Moscow, according to unconfirmed reports. The Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta suggested Nikolai Gorokhov had fallen after a winch snapped as he tried to lift a bath to a fourth-floor apartment, though details of the incident remained murky. Continue reading... |
| British victim sat next to Brussels bomber on metro, inquest told Posted: 22 Mar 2017 02:21 AM PDT IT consultant David Dixon texted partner to say he was safe shortly before being killed in blast on board subway train A British IT consultant was killed on a metro train in the Brussels terror attacks one year ago after texting his partner and mother of his son to say he was safe, unaware he was sitting next to the bomber and moments from death. David Dixon, 50, messaged his girlfriend, Charlotte Sutcliffe, to say he was safe after terrorists had detonated two devices at Brussels airport about an hour earlier, but was killed shortly after in a blast on board the train, an inquest heard. Continue reading... |
| Welcome to Yiwu: China's testing ground for a multicultural city Posted: 23 Mar 2017 12:30 AM PDT Unlike Guangzhou's African community – who have faced prejudice and hostility – Yiwu's foreign residents enjoy an 'unusual freedom of worship', with the municipal government even consulting international traders on city business After dark on Exotic Street in China's eastern city of Yiwu, three Yemeni boys crowd round a large charcoal barbecue rack selling lamb kebabs and baked breads. They order in confident Mandarin, chatting rapidly between themselves in Arabic. Inside the adjoining Erbil restaurant, two Jordanian men share a plate heaped with barbecued meat and vegetables, while on the street corner two men sit smoking shisha pipes. The Zekeen supermarket sells both instant noodles and halal meat, and an African woman wearing a hijab carries out bags of shopping. Opposite, two young Russian women emerge from a shop that sells the unlikely combination of trainers and sex toys. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 22 Mar 2017 06:00 PM PDT 年少时，郭小橹的家乡温岭还是一个以农业人口为主的偏远乡村。如今，这里和中国成百上千个乡村小镇一样，变成了有着四车道、饱受癌症困扰、甚至有了新语言的城市。 我的家乡温岭是一个地处亚热带的南方乡镇。这些年，伴随着我的成长，家乡也经历了翻天覆地的变化。我从那个流着鼻涕、瘦小孤独的女孩长成了一心想要逃离家乡的少女。而我的家乡也从一个农业县发展成了有着140万人口的繁华城市。 如今的温岭是浙江省典型的中型城市。与中国过去三十年成百上千个县级市一样，温岭随处可见崭新而粗制滥造的高楼大厦。农民扛着装满蔬菜的麻袋、步履蹒跚地走在新铺就的大道上，他们脸上的沧桑与高楼大厦形成了鲜明的对比。 Continue reading... |
| Uber for bikes: how 'dockless' cycles flooded China – and are heading overseas Posted: 22 Mar 2017 03:23 AM PDT New cycle-share firms in China allow you to simply drop your bike wherever you want. They have caused colourful chaos – and world cities could be next On a 30ft-wide screen in Hangzhou's public bike share office, the counter ticks up relentlessly: 278,812 … 278,847 … 278,883 … Another 40 cycle rentals every couple of seconds. The system will easily top 350,000 before this bitterly cold winter day is out. On the left of the giant screen, the world's 15 biggest public bike shares are ranked. Thirteen of them are in China. (Paris is No 5 with 21,000 bikes, and London No 12, with 16,500). Hangzhou – an hour west of Shanghai by bullet train – is slightly larger than London by population, but its share system is five times the size. It comfortably tops the table with 84,100 cycles, almost twice as many as its nearest rival. Continue reading... |
| Support building for landmark move to overturn El Salvador's anti-abortion law Posted: 23 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PDT Parliamentary bill proposing to loosen draconian restrictions on abortion finds favour after religious groups, doctors and others voice public support El Salvador's controversial law banning abortion in all circumstances, which has provoked ruthless miscarriages of justice, could be overturned in what has been described as a historic move. Momentum is building around a parliamentary bill proposing to allow abortion in cases of rape or human trafficking; when the foetus in unviable; or to protect the pregnant woman's health or life. Continue reading... |
| East Africa hunger appeal supported by Eddie Redmayne hits £30m in a week Posted: 22 Mar 2017 05:04 AM PDT Public urged to keep giving as Redmayne, Bill Nighy and Ben Stiller front major fundraising drive for worst humanitarian crisis since the end of world war two A crisis appeal to support the millions of people at risk of starvation in east Africa has raised £30m in a week. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched its appeal for funds on 15 March, amid warnings that the world is facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the end of the second world war. Continue reading... |
| Dam project promises water – but also conflict – for dusty Afghan border lands Posted: 22 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PDT Neglected Nimruz province hopes a dam will boost agriculture but faces hostility from Iran, unhappy at the Helmand river's meager flow, and their Taliban allies In a corner of the southern Afghan desert, scorched by heat and thrashed by sandstorms, Nimruz is one of Afghanistan's most remote and lawless provinces. Enjoying little international aid or government authority, it is also one of the least developed. However, there is hope for progress. But that hope is pinned on a resource that could spark regional conflict: water. |
| White House-GCHQ row reveals a leader willing to alienate allies to save face Posted: 17 Mar 2017 09:58 AM PDT Sean Spicer's latest defense of the evidence-free assertion that Barack Obama had the Trump campaign placed under surveillance risks shattering an allegiance dear to both Washington and London The extraordinary public rebuke by the United States' closest surveillance partner has revealed an emerging characteristic of Donald Trump's White House: a willingness to antagonize even its allies instead of admitting error. GCHQ, the UK surveillance mammoth intimately linked to the National Security Agency (NSA), has taken public exception to an allegation repeated from the White House podium that, if true, would probably shatter the Five Eyes intelligence alliance so dear to both Washington and London. Continue reading... |
| Trump and Russia: top Democrat casts doubts over independence of investigation – video Posted: 22 Mar 2017 08:15 PM PDT Adam Schiff responds after Republican Devin Nunes says Trump transition officials' communications may have been scooped up in legal surveillance and then improperly distributed. Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, accused the Republican leader of the committee of creating 'profound doubt' about its ability to conduct an independent investigation of contacts between Russia and the US president's election campaign Continue reading... |
| Paul Manafort revelations 'not linked to Trump', White House says – video Posted: 22 Mar 2017 01:26 PM PDT The White House on Wednesday responded to reports that Donald Trump's former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, had in 2005 offered to help Vladimir Putin advance Moscow's interests in US politics as part of a multimillion-dollar contract agreed with a Russian billionaire with close ties to the Kremlin. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the allegations had no links to the president or his staff Continue reading... |
| Fired analyst speaks about Muslims' 'challenges' in FBI – video Posted: 22 Mar 2017 06:18 AM PDT Said Barodi, a former FBI analyst, discusses his firing, which he considers an example of the climate facing Arabs and Muslims within the bureau, which is overwhelmingly white. Barodi describes being in transit from Paris to the US in early 2016, when he believes he was racially profiled in an airport encounter with a homeland security officer Continue reading... |
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