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- 'The war has just begun': Julian Assange defiant after Swedes drop investigation
- Comey to testify as more revelations pile pressure on Trump
- Emmanuel Macron ends first week in office stressing fight against jihadis
- Syrian peace talks break up after making only 'incremental progress'
- Vice-president leaves Afghanistan amid torture and rape claims
- Brazil president formally accused of conspiracy against corruption inquiry
- Unrest, sanctions – and now Venezuela's Maduro faces a shamanic curse
- Europe's defence minister roles become female stronghold
- Myanmar failing to stop spread of religious violence, UN envoy says
- The 20 photographs of the week
- Can you manufacture blood cells?
- Want to lose weight? Eat in a crinkly plate
- Share your views on Trump's foreign trip
- A garden bridge that works: how Seoul succeeded where London failed
- Anti-smog bikes: could pedal power clean China's polluted air?
- Ian Paterson conviction: more than 100 further patients come forward
- Attack on Libyan airbase by troops loyal to UN-backed faction kills 141
- Peter Dutton's office tells Canadian-Australian: 'go back to US and deal with Trump'
- 'Much to be done': new president brings Timor-Leste hope for a better future
- Indigenous leaders head to Uluru for 'historic' meeting on constitutional recognition
- ‘You’d come in and think, what’s dead or escaped?’: inside Britain's most controversial zoo
- Iran: Hassan Rouhani set for landslide in huge victory for reformists
- Air Force fighter jets scrambled after disturbance on American Airlines flight
- Beijing denies intercepting US 'sniffer plane' over Yellow Sea
- As the Russia story explodes, women's rights continue to be rolled back | Jessica Valenti
- What’s China’s goal in the West Midlands? | Letters
- What's in a ring? Iran's Khamenei sends mixed election messages
- French prime minister's novels put attitude to women in spotlight
- Obese Thai monkey who got big on tourists' junk food placed on strict diet
- Best photos of the day: Kashmir clashes and the last day of term
- German business leaders urge Tories to rethink plan to leave single market
- 'React first': Canadian army issues guide to dealing with child soldiers
- Ligers and tigons: activists aim to outlaw 'inhumane' breeding of frankencats
- Jennifer Kempton death: 'A strong, brilliant woman who loved all the way'
- What the UK election will mean for aid and development: key manifesto vows
- Russia special counsel: short-term gain for Trump comes with long-term risks
| 'The war has just begun': Julian Assange defiant after Swedes drop investigation Posted: 19 May 2017 11:40 AM PDT WikiLeaks founder describes end of rape allegations inquiry as 'important victory', but would still face arrest in London if he leaves embassy Julian Assange has declared that "the proper war is just commencing" after Swedish prosecutors unexpectedly dropped their investigation into an allegation of rape against him, ending a torturous seven-year extradition battle that nevertheless leaves significant question marks over his future. The 45-year-old WikiLeaks founder appeared on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he had sought asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, and said Friday's decision was "an important victory". Continue reading... |
| Comey to testify as more revelations pile pressure on Trump Posted: 20 May 2017 12:57 AM PDT Ex-FBI chief to tell Senate committee about campaign inquiry role, as president reportedly described him to Russians as 'nut job' The former FBI director James Comey is to testify in front of cameras following his shock sacking, it has been announced, as a series of damaging revelations pile further pressure on the embattled US president, Donald Trump. Related: Rosenstein stands by memo on firing James Comey: 'I wrote it. I believe it' Continue reading... |
| Emmanuel Macron ends first week in office stressing fight against jihadis Posted: 19 May 2017 09:45 AM PDT French president visits troops in Mali where he says other European countries can do more to combat militants France will continue to fight Islamist militants in north and west Africa but other European countries should do more to contribute, the new French president Emmanuel Macron has said on his first visit to French troops fighting jihadis in Mali. The 39-year-old sought to emphasise his new role as army commander-in-chief with an African trip designed to stress the importance of France fighting militants in Mali and the broader Sahel region, who he said still posed a potential threat to Europe. Continue reading... |
| Syrian peace talks break up after making only 'incremental progress' Posted: 19 May 2017 10:54 AM PDT UN's special envoy defends himself against charge that talks in Geneva have become hopelessly bogged down Four days of faltering Syrian peace talks broke up in Geneva on Friday evening with the UN's special envoy on Syria admitting there had only been "incremental progress", with no detailed discussions held on the main agenda items. Staffan de Mistura said he hoped talks would recommence in June, but set no specific date. The atmosphere at the already difficult talks were soured when the Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Ja'afari describied a US military strike in Syria on Thursday as "government terrorism" that had caused a massacre. Continue reading... |
| Vice-president leaves Afghanistan amid torture and rape claims Posted: 19 May 2017 01:27 PM PDT Abdul Rashid Dostum has not faced justice over allegations of kidnapping and torture, despite government's promises of justice Afghanistan's vice-president has left the country after a six-month standoff following allegations that he illegally detained a political rival and had him raped with an assault rifle. Abdul Rashid Dostum flew to Turkey on Friday evening reportedly for medical treatment, according to sources in the Afghan government. Dostum is believed to have alcohol problems and claims to suffer from diabetes. Continue reading... |
| Brazil president formally accused of conspiracy against corruption inquiry Posted: 19 May 2017 03:36 PM PDT Charge marks latest crisis for Michel Temer, with stage set for constitutional battle as president is accused of working to silence witnesses Brazil is set for more political carnage after the country's top prosecutor formally accused President Michel Temer of conspiring with his chief coalition partner to silence witnesses and obstruct a corruption investigation. Meanwhile, the escalating bribery scandal widened further on Friday with new plea-bargain details by executives from a meatpacking company that implicated more than 1,000 other politicians, including former presidents Dilma Rousseff and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and secret recordings of a supreme court judge apparently plotting to quash the judicial investigation. Continue reading... |
| Unrest, sanctions – and now Venezuela's Maduro faces a shamanic curse Posted: 19 May 2017 11:05 AM PDT Liborio Guarulla, the former governor of Amazonas state who was barred from office for opposing Maduro, enacts 'Dakubi' rite to bring suffering and loss Venezuela's embattled government has endured weeks of violent street protests, criticism from its neighbours, and sustained diplomatic pressure – including the announcement on Thursday of fresh US sanctions against eight supreme court judges. This week, however, Nicolás Maduro's administration was targeted by a very different strategy: a shamanic curse. Continue reading... |
| Europe's defence minister roles become female stronghold Posted: 19 May 2017 09:09 AM PDT France's appointment of Sylvie Goulard means defence at four of the EU's five largest economies is overseen by women When Europe's defence ministers gathered in Brussels this week, all eyes were on the newcomer: Sylvie Goulard, the former liberal MEP who had been appointed France's armed forces minister less than 24 hours earlier. But the meeting – to discuss ways of boosting EU-Nato cooperation and the use of joint EU battle groups – was remarkable for more than that. All five of the bloc's largest economies, apart from Britain, were represented by women. Continue reading... |
| Myanmar failing to stop spread of religious violence, UN envoy says Posted: 19 May 2017 03:00 AM PDT Special rapporteur on human rights calls on Aung San Suu Kyi's government to curb hate speech and attacks by nationalists Myanmar must do more to prevent the drastic escalation of religious intolerance and violence following clashes between ultranationalist Buddhists and minority Muslims in Yangon, a senior United Nations envoy has said. Speaking to the Guardian, Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, called on the year-old National League for Democracy government led by Aung San Suu Kyi to strengthen its efforts to curb hate speech and violence drummed up by nationalist groups. Continue reading... |
| The 20 photographs of the week Posted: 20 May 2017 01:05 AM PDT The Times Square car crash, riots in Venezuela, the Cannes film festival and fighting in Mosul – the news of the week captured by the world's best photojournalists Continue reading... |
| Can you manufacture blood cells? Posted: 20 May 2017 12:30 AM PDT Researchers may have found a way of making blood from human or mouse stem cells How might blood cells be made? Different groups of researchers say they have developed a way of producing blood cells from human or mouse cells that have been reprogrammed in the lab – an advance that has been touted as offering a solution to the need for blood donation. The latest studies are the result of 20 years' work in the field. Continue reading... |
| Want to lose weight? Eat in a crinkly plate Posted: 19 May 2017 11:01 PM PDT Dinner plates with ridges to trick the mind into seeing a small portion as big could help cut obesity A crinkly plate, designed with ridges that cunningly reduce the amount of food it holds, may be heading for the market to help people concerned about their weight to eat less. The plate is the brainchild of a Latvian graphic designer, Nauris Cinovics, from the Art Academy of Latvia, who is working with a Latvian government agency to develop the idea and hopes to trial it soon. It may look like just another arty designer plate, but it is intended to play tricks with the mind. Continue reading... |
| Share your views on Trump's foreign trip Posted: 19 May 2017 11:00 PM PDT The US president is travelling to the Middle East and Europe, and we want to hear from people in the countries he is visiting Donald Trump is taking his first foreign trip since taking office in January. After departing on Air Force One on Friday, the US president will take in Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican and conclude with summits in Brussels and Sicily. Continue reading... |
| A garden bridge that works: how Seoul succeeded where London failed Posted: 19 May 2017 03:21 PM PDT Seoul's ambitious Skygarden – which revives a disused elevated 1970s highway with 24,000 plants – is opening Stop me if you've heard this before. The ambitious mayor of a big city backs a project to put a garden on a bridge. A celebrated designer is appointed and seductive images released. It gets compared to the High Line in New York – that urban phenomenon envied as much by rival cities as the Eiffel Tower once was. It provokes controversy. This much the Skygarden in Seoul has in common with the Garden Bridge in London, but then their stories diverge. Where the London version has foundered, the Korean one will be opened this Saturday by mayor Park Won-soon, a former activist who built his career on opposing both corruption and the conservative establishment, and supporting human rights. Continue reading... |
| Anti-smog bikes: could pedal power clean China's polluted air? Posted: 19 May 2017 02:37 AM PDT The bikes designed by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde would suck in polluted air, using positive ionisation to purify it, before releasing it back into the atmosphere Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde has announced the next phase of his Smog Free Project: a bike that sucks in polluted air and releases purified air in a cloud around the cyclist. According to Roosegaarde, whose design firm Studio Roosegaarde has offices in both Rotterdam and Beijing, the idea for his Smog Free Project came just over three years ago, as he gazed out of his Beijing apartment's window. On a Saturday, the city skyline is visible; on weekdays, it's shrouded in smog. Continue reading... |
| Ian Paterson conviction: more than 100 further patients come forward Posted: 20 May 2017 01:27 AM PDT Law firm says 103 patients treated privately by breast surgeon have sought advice since he was found guilty of unlawful wounding More than 100 people treated by the breast surgeon Ian Paterson have come forward since his conviction for wounding patients, a law firm has said. Described by one victim as being "like a God", Paterson lied to patients and exaggerated or invented the risk of cancer to convince them to undergo surgery, possibly to improve his earnings. |
| Attack on Libyan airbase by troops loyal to UN-backed faction kills 141 Posted: 19 May 2017 03:13 PM PDT Dead were mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, according to military sources An attack on an airbase in southern Libya has killed 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar, according to a spokesman for his forces. Related: Khalifa Haftar: renegade general causing upheaval in Libya Continue reading... |
| Peter Dutton's office tells Canadian-Australian: 'go back to US and deal with Trump' Posted: 19 May 2017 05:28 PM PDT Doug Stetner, who has represented Australia in underwater rugby, called Dutton's office to voice support for asylum seekers A Canadian-born Australian citizen who called Peter Dutton's Brisbane office to voice opposition to treatment of asylum seekers says an electorate officer told him to "go back to the United States then and deal with Trump". Doug Stetner, an Australian citizen for 21 years, who represented the national men's team at the 2015 underwater rugby world cup in Colombia, said the response from the immigration minister's staffer was both "offensive and comical". Continue reading... |
| 'Much to be done': new president brings Timor-Leste hope for a better future Posted: 19 May 2017 10:36 PM PDT Francisco 'Lú-Olo' Guterres says he will pursue the long-running matter of maritime and land borders with Australia and Indonesia National pride is a serious business for Timor-Leste, a young country with a violent history. So on the eve of a presidential inauguration and the 15th anniversary of the nation's independence, the capital Dili is covered in flags. They adorn houses, fences, bikes and cars. They are draped over balconies and the arms of the half-dozen flag sellers on each block. As the sun sets on Dili, the seaside road fills with cars, bikes and bemos taking thousands to the historic Tasi Tolu, a park on the outskirts of the city that is deeply embedded in the story of Timor-Leste's path to freedom. It is where Pope John Paul II once led a mass in the local language, Tetum. It is also where thousands first rallied against the Indonesian occupation, where thousands more sheltered during political upheaval, and where in 2002 the government formally proclaimed its independence. Continue reading... |
| Indigenous leaders head to Uluru for 'historic' meeting on constitutional recognition Posted: 19 May 2017 07:16 PM PDT Referendum Council makes it clear it will reject any purely symbolic gestures and demand substantive, structural changes More than 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community leaders will fly into Uluru this weekend before a significant meeting on constitutional recognition that could change Australia's relationship with its first peoples. The national convention on constitutional recognition, also known as the Uluru convention, is the cumulation of 12 community dialogues that have taken place around the country in the past six months. Continue reading... |
| ‘You’d come in and think, what’s dead or escaped?’: inside Britain's most controversial zoo Posted: 20 May 2017 12:00 AM PDT Last summer inspectors revealed that nearly 500 animals had died in a three-year period. Can a new team turn South Lakes Safari around? It's 2pm at South Lakes Safari zoo. "Free entry!" reads the cheerful banner tacked on to the rustic wooden entrance gate. "Hand feed a baby giraffe!" But these enticements seem to have missed their mark today: I'm the only visitor. The enormous gift shop filled mostly with stuffed animals is empty of humans. The £20 family meal deals at the "Maki" zoo restaurant remain untouched. I trudge up the long, circular path, past sodden vultures hunched behind coiled barbed wire, pacing big cats and many upbeat, brightly coloured signs telling me the names all the animals have been given. The zoo's miniature train is not in operation today, due to a lack of passengers. Why is no one here? Perhaps because it's a rainy, grey Wednesday in March. More likely, though, it's the unsettling reports that have been appearing since last June. Continue reading... |
| Iran: Hassan Rouhani set for landslide in huge victory for reformists Posted: 19 May 2017 11:38 PM PDT Just before 9am, the interior ministry said Rouhani was ahead, with 14 million votes to Ebrahim Raisi's 10 million, with over half of votes counted Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is to claim re-election with a landslide victory, in a ringing endorsement of his efforts to re-engage with the West and offer greater freedoms at home. With a huge turnout, polling stations stayed open until midnight in parts of the country, defying worries that moderates disillusioned by the weak economy or slow pace of change would not vote. Continue reading... |
| Air Force fighter jets scrambled after disturbance on American Airlines flight Posted: 19 May 2017 10:54 PM PDT Turkish passenger reportedly tried to force his way into the cockpit of the Honolulu-bound flight from Los Angeles The US military on Friday scrambled two Air Force fighter jets to escort an American Airlines flight into Honolulu International Airport after a disturbance involving a Turkish passenger aboard the plane was reported, officials said. The nature of the fracas was not immediately disclosed by the FBI, the military or American Airlines, but local news media reported that a passenger had tried to force his way into the cockpit of the Honolulu-bound Flight 31 from Los Angeles. Continue reading... |
| Beijing denies intercepting US 'sniffer plane' over Yellow Sea Posted: 19 May 2017 09:13 PM PDT China says its aircraft were acting 'in accordance with the law' when they approached the American WC-135 plane China has denied US allegations that two of its fighter jets intercepted an American "radiation-sniffing" plane earlier this week, saying that its aircraft were acting "in accordance with the law". "Related remarks from the US side are inconsistent with fact," the Chinese defence ministry said in a statement posted to its website late on Friday. Continue reading... |
| As the Russia story explodes, women's rights continue to be rolled back | Jessica Valenti Posted: 19 May 2017 12:58 PM PDT As you watch the news obsessively and plan those impeachment parties, don't forget about what's at stake in the meantime • Get this newsletter via email – sign up I know it's hard to think about anything outside of Trump and Russia these days, but while we're all refreshing Twitter every two minutes, women's rights are being rolled back across the country. At the end of June, four health clinics in Iowa will shut down because of legislation defunding Planned Parenthood. At the same time, Texas is seeking federal funding to do the same and the DNC chair is meeting with anti-choice groups in the spirit of doing away with a litmus test on women's rights. Continue reading... |
| What’s China’s goal in the West Midlands? | Letters Posted: 19 May 2017 11:02 AM PDT Hamas | Lloyds Bank | Chinese-owned football clubs | Bookshops | Clothes moths | Grandparents' names Sarah Helm is compelling on the necessity to talk with Hamas to secure peace, justice for the Palestinians and security for Israel (Opinion, 19 May). When negotiations with the more moderate PLO failed, Hamas took its place. If Hamas's new olive branch fails, jihadism and/or Islamic State will likely take its place. Israel and the west must respond positively to see if fresh negotiations can succeed. Or simply accept culpability in escalating terror, siege and misery. • Lloyds claims taxpayers made £900m profit from a bailout of £20.3bn over six years (Report, 18 May). How much would Lloyds normally expect to make over six years on an investment of £20.3bn? Perhaps £900m a year? |
| What's in a ring? Iran's Khamenei sends mixed election messages Posted: 19 May 2017 09:58 AM PDT The supreme leader's jewellery became the focus of frenzied speculation in a ballot where more than the presidency is at stake Soon after 8am, as voting in Iran's presidential election got under way, the country's 78-year-old supreme leader emerged from behind a set of curtains in his heavily-guarded compound in central Tehran to cast his vote. As he took the ballot paper, many watching the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's |
| French prime minister's novels put attitude to women in spotlight Posted: 19 May 2017 08:22 AM PDT Some believe the two thrillers written by Édouard Philippe may reveal clues about his thoughts on women and politics France's new president, Emmanuel Macron, may have written several unpublished novels inspired by everything from the Spanish conquest of Mexico to the life of a Paris pianist, but it is the literary endeavours of his newly appointed government that have come under the spotlight this week. Nine of its members have published books, from political essays and historical biographies to pulp fiction and political crime thrillers. The culture minister heads a major publishing house, and the economy minister, rightwing Bruno Le Maire, once wrote racy romances about a lovestruck nurse – under a pseudonym – before graduating to literary fiction and memoirs. Continue reading... |
| Obese Thai monkey who got big on tourists' junk food placed on strict diet Posted: 19 May 2017 08:14 AM PDT
A morbidly obese wild monkey who gorged himself on junk food and soda left behind by tourists has been rescued and placed on a strict diet of lean protein, fruits and vegetables. Wildlife officials caught the chunky monkey – nicknamed "Uncle Fat" by locals – after photos of the animal started circulating on social media last month. Continue reading... |
| Best photos of the day: Kashmir clashes and the last day of term Posted: 19 May 2017 05:27 AM PDT The Guardian's picture editors select photo highlights from around the world, including protests in Srinagar and high school graduates in Zagreb Continue reading... |
| German business leaders urge Tories to rethink plan to leave single market Posted: 19 May 2017 04:09 AM PDT Head of employers' federation says integrity of single market more important than making good business with Britain German industrialists have warned that British hopes of their support in Brexit negotiations are misplaced and could backfire with dangerous consequences for international trade. Business leaders in Europe's biggest economy are instead calling on Conservatives to rethink their commitment to leaving the single market, even though the party has doubled down on this promise in its election manifesto. Continue reading... |
| 'React first': Canadian army issues guide to dealing with child soldiers Posted: 19 May 2017 03:30 AM PDT Military doctrine is first in world that attempts to help troops deal with issue that can inflict deep psychological wounds It is a distressing dilemma that has played out on battlefields around the world: how is a soldier to respond when a child points a gun at them? The Canadian military has become the first in the world to offer guidance to troops who confront child soldiers, in an attempt to help service personnel navigate an issue that can inflict deep psychological wounds. Continue reading... |
| Ligers and tigons: activists aim to outlaw 'inhumane' breeding of frankencats Posted: 19 May 2017 03:00 AM PDT USDA petition calls for an end to interbreeding of large felines, claiming the practice clashes with federal laws because of increased odds of health problems A coalition of US conservation groups has launched an attempt to outlaw the breeding of so-called frankencats, where big cats such as tigers and lions are crossed with each other to create unusual and often unhealthy specimens. A petition filed with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday calls for an end to the "inhumane" interbreeding of large felines, claiming that the practice clashes with federal animal welfare laws because of the increased probability of resulting health problems such as cancer, cleft palates, arthritis and depression. Continue reading... |
| Jennifer Kempton death: 'A strong, brilliant woman who loved all the way' Posted: 19 May 2017 09:55 AM PDT Colleagues praise strength and compassion of 35-year-old whose own sex trafficking ordeal persuaded her to found a charity for fellow survivors Jennifer Kempton, a former sex slave who founded a tattoo-removal organisation to help other trafficking victims, has died of a drug overdose in Ohio, her family said. Tributes have been paid to the 35-year-old mother of four, who was described by her former boss Deborah Quinci as "a strong, brilliant woman who loved all the way and gave herself to others all the way". Continue reading... |
| What the UK election will mean for aid and development: key manifesto vows Posted: 19 May 2017 06:39 AM PDT From refugees and arms sales to human rights and aid budgets, the main Tory, Labour and Lib Dem commitments on ending poverty and inequality explained Britain will go to the polls on 8 June with aid and development spending under unprecedented scrutiny. Two years after the UK became the first major economy to meet the UN target of devoting 0.7% of gross national income to aid, the Whitehall vultures are circling. Government departments including the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office are casting covetous glances at the £12bn aid budget, while allegations of wasteful spending on contractors and ill-conceived projects have fuelled wider criticism. How are the main parties planning to negotiate this political minefield? Outlined below are the key commitments on aid and development contained in the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat manifestos. The Scottish National Party's manifesto will be launched on Tuesday. Related: UK government under fire for failure to regulate aid contractors Continue reading... |
| Russia special counsel: short-term gain for Trump comes with long-term risks Posted: 19 May 2017 04:00 AM PDT Though the threat is apparent, experts said the Trump administration also saw some immediate benefits as it avoids an independent investigation Some threats to executive power may come dressed in sheep's clothing, the late supreme court justice Antonin Scalia once wrote, but when it comes to the issue of independent counsels, "this wolf comes as a wolf". The threat to Donald Trump was apparent as he started his morning Thursday by complaining bitterly on Twitter about the "witch hunt" he faces in the form of the investigation of his campaign's alleged ties to Russia, and the injustice of having special counsel appointed to oversee it. Continue reading... |
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