World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

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• Venezuela: police helicopter attacks supreme court with grenades
• Time magazine asks Trump to remove fake covers from display at golf clubs
• 'Patience is running out' - pressure on Turkey and Greece as Cyprus talks open
• 'Petya' ransomware attack strikes companies across Europe and US
• US issues warning to Syria after finding 'potential preparations' for sarin attack
• UAE ambassador threatens further sanctions against Qatar
• Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, of Dragon Tattoo and John Wick, dies aged 56
• Srebrenica massacre: Dutch soldiers let 300 Muslims die, court rules
• Senate Republicans forced to delay vote on healthcare bill due to lack of support
• Venezuela president says supporters will take up arms if government falls
• 'Welcome to peace': Colombia's Farc rebels seal historic disarmament
• The chips are up: Bruges cafes charge tourists extra 10%
• Rare spate of bear attacks leaves two dead in Alaska
• 'Fake news': Trump tweets glee as three CNN journalists resign over Russia story
• Google fined record €2.4bn by EU over search engine results
• World Bank funds linked to forced labour in Uzbekistan
• Ozone hole recovery threatened by rise of paint stripper chemical
• The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu by Charlie English – review
• Exhibition illustrates the deadly impact of NHS cuts | David Batty
• 'Petya' ransomware attack: what is it and how can it be stopped?
• Women of the favela: life in the abandoned buildings of Rio – in pictures
• Grenfell residents' groups compile lists of victims and survivors
• Why is Africa so poor? You asked Google – here’s the answer
• 'I should have done more': Chris Patten on leaving Hong Kong without democracy
• Inspector general to review Australian Tax Office risk of fraud
• Wednesday briefing: 'Craven' UK bowing to China, says Patten
• The last Hong Kong governor: Chris Patten on 20 years after the handover - video
• Chris Patten: A craven Britain has demeaned itself with China, Brexit will make it worse
• Police helicopter attacks government buildings in Caracas – video
• How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city
• Donald Trump considering China sanctions over North Korea, say officials
• Bill Cosby likely won't speak publicly before sexual assault retrial, lawyer says
• Myanmar: Detained journalists to be charged under colonial-era law
• Angela Merkel: I search Trump on Twitter for latest US news – video
• Andimba Toivo ya Toivo obituary
• French woman goes on trial accused of helping lover cross Channel
• What do we know about regime's use of chemical weapons in Syria?
• Japanese schoolboy breaks shogi record - video
• Angela Merkel signals change in stance on gay marriage in Germany
• Canada celebrates 150 but indigenous groups say history is being 'skated over'
• Japan's love of shogi reignited thanks to 14-year-old record-breaker
• US human trafficking report promotes Myanmar but demotes China
• Peru launches investigation as fire kills workers 'locked inside container'
• Trump's disdain for diplomacy is making the world more dangerous
• Trump, on the phone to Irish PM, tells reporter she has a 'nice smile on her face' – video
• Reporter challenges White House spokeswoman over fake news claims – video

Venezuela: police helicopter attacks supreme court with grenades Posted: 28 Jun 2017 12:09 AM PDT President says explosives failed to detonate in incident following months of increasing violence against his rule A police helicopter launched grenades at Venezuela's supreme court building on Tuesday evening following months of protests against the country's president, Nicolás Maduro. Maduro said "terrorists" had lobbed two grenades that failed to detonate. Some reports put the number of grenades higher. Local media suggested a former police intelligence officer had carried out the attack. Continue reading...

Time magazine asks Trump to remove fake covers from display at golf clubs Posted: 27 Jun 2017 10:11 PM PDT Framed Time cover featuring president and the headline 'The Apprentice is a television smash!' has reportedly been seen hanging at five of Trump's clubs Time magazine has asked the Trump organisation to remove fake covers bearing his image from his golf clubs. The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that a framed Time cover featuring Trump and the headline "Donald Trump: The 'Apprentice' is a television smash!" [sic], seen hanging at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, was faked. Continue reading...

'Patience is running out' - pressure on Turkey and Greece as Cyprus talks open Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:00 PM PDT Representatives from island's divided communities – and from UK, Turkey and Greece – are meeting as UN says it will withdraw its troops if talks fail Meeting in the cool of the Swiss Alps, the leaders of Cyprus' estranged Greek and Turkish communities are to embark on a defining attempt to reunify the Mediterranean island more than four decades afterit was divided by war. The conference on Wednesday brings all the main players to the table – including representatives from Cyprus' guarantor powers, Greece, Turkey and Britain – in what is being billed as an arena "for big and lasting decisions". For all, it will amount to an historic effort to bridge chasms that have remained unbridgeable since 1974, the year that Turkey seized the island's northern third in response to a coup aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece. Continue reading...

'Petya' ransomware attack strikes companies across Europe and US Posted: 27 Jun 2017 07:55 AM PDT Ukraine government, banks and electricity grid hit hardest, but companies in France, Denmark and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania also attacked Victims of a major ransomware cyberattack that has spread through the US and Europe can no longer unlock their computers even if they pay the ransom. The "Petya" ransomware has caused serious disruption at large firms including the advertising giant WPP, French construction materials company Saint-Gobain and Russian steel and oil firms Evraz and Rosneft. Continue reading...

US issues warning to Syria after finding 'potential preparations' for sarin attack Posted: 27 Jun 2017 05:06 PM PDT Pentagon prepared to take action after unusual public warning appeared to be intended to deter the Assad regime from repeating its use of chemical weapons The US said on Tuesday that it had observed preparations for a possible chemical weapons attack at a Syrian air base allegedly involved in a sarin attack in April following a warning from the White House that the Syrian regime would "pay a heavy price" for further use of the weapons. Reporters traveling in Germany with the US defence secretary, James Mattis, were told that the Pentagon was prepared to take action after activity was seen at the Shayrat base similar to the pattern that preceded the April gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun, which killed at least 80 people. That incident prompted a US missile strike on the base, although the strike did not seriously impair its operations. Continue reading...

UAE ambassador threatens further sanctions against Qatar Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:30 PM PDT Omar Ghobash, ambassador to Russia, has said Gulf states imposing demands on Qatar are willing to be subjected to same monitoring regime themselves The Gulf states demanding that Qatar ends its independent-minded foreign policy and alleged support for extremism have warned they are considering further economic pressure on the tiny country, such as reducing commercial links with countries that continue to trade with Doha. The warning, the latest escalation in the three-week internal Gulf dispute, was made by Omar Ghobash – the United Arab Emirates ambassador to Moscow, and one of the most articulate figures in the dispute that has wracked the region. Continue reading...

Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, of Dragon Tattoo and John Wick, dies aged 56 Posted: 27 Jun 2017 11:14 PM PDT The actor, who appeared as Mikael Blomkvist in the Swedish adaptations of the Stieg Larsson novels, has died of lung cancer Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist has died at the age of 56. He had been battling lung cancer. The Stockholm-born actor was best known for his role as Mikael Blomkvist in the original Swedish Dragon Tattoo trilogy, which included The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Continue reading...

Srebrenica massacre: Dutch soldiers let 300 Muslims die, court rules Posted: 27 Jun 2017 04:35 PM PDT UN peacekeepers should have known men were in danger, appeals court in The Hague rules over 1995 mass killing in Bosnia Dutch soldiers acting as UN peacekeepers were partly liable for the deaths of about 300 Muslim men massacred near Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslavian civil war, an appeals court in The Hague has ruled. The ruling upholds a decision three years ago that the Dutch forces should have known that the men seeking refuge at their base would be murdered by Bosnian Serb troops if they were turned away. Continue reading...

Senate Republicans forced to delay vote on healthcare bill due to lack of support Posted: 27 Jun 2017 04:32 PM PDT Mitch McConnell postpones vote to after Fourth of July recess, as a growing list of defections had imperiled the prospect of a vote on replacement for Obamacare The Republican party's seven-year crusade to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is on the verge of collapse, after Senate leaders were forced to delay a vote on a healthcare bill that according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) would leave an estimated 22 million more people without health insurance by 2026. Related: Senate healthcare bill would cut insurance for 22 million Americans, CBO says Continue reading...

Venezuela president says supporters will take up arms if government falls Posted: 27 Jun 2017 02:55 PM PDT As protests continue, Nicolás Maduro says his side 'would never give up' amid chaos: 'What we failed to achieve with votes, we would do with weapons' As the death toll continues to rise from three months of political unrest in Venezuela, the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, has warned that his supporters will take up arms if his government is overthrown. Speaking at a rally to promote a 30 July vote for a constituent assembly, Maduro said he would fight to defend the "Bolivarian revolution" of his predecessor Hugo Chávez. Continue reading...

'Welcome to peace': Colombia's Farc rebels seal historic disarmament Posted: 27 Jun 2017 12:30 PM PDT Revolutionary group hands in 7,000 weapons as part of historic peace deal 'Today doesn't end the existence of the Farc; it ends our armed struggle' Colombia's Farc rebels, who once terrorized the country with kidnaps, killings and attacks on towns, have ended half a century of armed insurgency at low-key ceremony in which the United Nations certified that more than 7,000 guerrillas had turned over their weapons. "Farewell to arms, farewell to war, welcome to peace," said the Farc's top leader Rodrigo Londoño, to a cheering crowd of former combatants at the ceremony in Mesetas, a mountainous area in south-eastern Colombia. Continue reading...

The chips are up: Bruges cafes charge tourists extra 10% Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:33 AM PDT Tourists are paying higher price than locals for frieten in some of Belgian city's cafes but authorities say practice is 'perfectly legal' It's known by some as the Venice of the north. And the city's medieval splendour, enchanting canals and cobbled streets make it a firm favourite for tourists and film-makers alike. But visitors may wish to avoid one of the delights of the Flemish city of Bruges – its pricey chips, or frieten, as they say in this part of Belgium. It has emerged that some of the city's chip-sellers have been charging tourists an extra 10% on the price offered to locals, pushing up the usual price to more than €7 (£6.20) a serving. Continue reading...

Rare spate of bear attacks leaves two dead in Alaska Posted: 27 Jun 2017 10:50 AM PDT Four people have been attacked in less than a week, resulting in two fatalities, in what wildlife experts are calling 'a lightning strike' Alaska is experiencing a spate of bear attacks, with four people attacked in less than a week, resulting in two fatalities. Two men, Alex Ippoliti and James Fredrick, were cycling in a woodland near Anchorage on Saturday when Fredrick was attacked, causing him to suffer lacerations to his neck and lose part of his biceps muscle. Ippoliti managed to stave off the assailant, which may have been guarding a nearby cub, with bear spray. Continue reading...

'Fake news': Trump tweets glee as three CNN journalists resign over Russia story Posted: 27 Jun 2017 04:41 AM PDT Trump derides network's 'phony' stories after three quit over piece on supposed investigation into meeting between associate and Russian investor CNN on Monday accepted the resignations of three journalists involved in a story about a supposed investigation into a pre-inaugural meeting between an associate of Donald Trump and the head of a Russian investment fund. Related: Covering Trump: when journalism, politics and fake news collide – watch live! Continue reading...

Google fined record €2.4bn by EU over search engine results Posted: 27 Jun 2017 05:14 AM PDT Brussels claims tech giant abused market dominance by manipulating its search engine results to favour its own comparison shopping service The European Union has handed Google a record-breaking €2.42bn (£2.14bn) fine for abusing its dominance of the search engine market in building its online shopping service, in a dramatic decision that has far-reaching implications for the company. By artificially and illegally promoting its own price comparison service in searches, Google denied both its consumers real choice and rival firms the ability to compete on a level playing field, European regulators said. Continue reading...

World Bank funds linked to forced labour in Uzbekistan Posted: 27 Jun 2017 08:26 AM PDT Report by human rights groups says Bank-funded projects in the country's cotton industry are using child and forced labour. The Bank refutes the allegations The World Bank is accused of funding agricultural projects in Uzbekistan that are linked to state-sponsored child labour and forced labour in the cotton industry. In a report out on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch and the Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights said they documented systematic forced labour and cases of child labour in an area where the Uzbek government is implementing a World Bank-funded irrigation project. Continue reading...

Ozone hole recovery threatened by rise of paint stripper chemical Posted: 27 Jun 2017 08:00 AM PDT The restoration of the ozone hole, which blocks harmful radiation, will be delayed by decades if fast-rising emissions of dichloromethane are not curbed The restoration of the globe's protective shield of ozone will be delayed by decades if fast-rising emissions of a chemical used in paint stripper are not curbed, new research has revealed. Atmospheric levels of the chemical have doubled in the last decade and its use is not restricted by the Montreal protocol that successfully outlawed the CFCs mainly responsible for the ozone hole. The ozone-destroying chemical is called dichloromethane and is also used as an industrial solvent, an aerosol spray propellant and a blowing agent for polyurethane foams. Little is known about where it is leaking from or why emissions have risen so rapidly. Continue reading...

The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu by Charlie English – review Posted: 27 Jun 2017 11:29 PM PDT This exemplary work tells a remarkable story of the saving of precious manuscripts and explores the meanings of the 'African Eldorado', but exposes a myth In April 2012, the jihadist army of the Saharan branch of al-Qaida drove a fleet of their armoured pick-up trucks into the centre of the ancient caravan town of Timbuktu in northern Mali. As black flags were hoisted atop the minarets, and as trapped and terrified government conscripts scrambled out of their uniforms, the jihadists began imposing their own puritanical interpretation of sharia law. Music was forbidden, modest clothing was forced on the women, stoning was imposed as a punishment for adultery and a war declared on "unIslamic superstition". Related: Jihadists return to northern Mali a year after French intervention Continue reading...

Exhibition illustrates the deadly impact of NHS cuts | David Batty Posted: 27 Jun 2017 11:29 PM PDT Activist art that drew attention to hospital closures 40 years ago is still relevant today, as an exhibition of its hard-hitting posters and campaign material at the ICA reveals The image is stark and its message brutally clear. Under the headline Health Cuts Can Kill, a sickly, middle-aged man lies with his arms spread on a metal hospital bed, his right hand clasping the rails of the metal bedstead. The grainy black and white photo is clinically dissected by an anonymous hand wielding a surgical scalpel, slicing a gaping red gash across the prone patient's torso and chest. The poster is one of many created by the artists Loraine Leeson and Peter Dunn to support local campaigners and NHS workers in east London in the mid-to late-1970s. These art projects, which pioneered closer collaboration between artists and political activists in the UK, are on show at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. They came in the wake of the first wave of cuts to the NHS. Initially carried out by Ted Heath's Conservative government, these cuts deepened under Labour after a run on the pound forced James Callaghan's government to take out a huge loan from the International Monetary Fund in 1976, which led to severe funding restrictions for public services. Continue reading...

'Petya' ransomware attack: what is it and how can it be stopped? Posted: 27 Jun 2017 11:17 PM PDT Companies have been crippled by global cyberattack, the second major ransomware crime in two months. We answer the key questions Many organizations in Europe and the US have been crippled by a ransomware attack known as 'Petya'. The malicious software has spread through large firms including the advertiser WPP, food company Mondelez, legal firm DLA Piper and Danish shipping and transport firm Maersk, leading to PCs and data being locked up and held for ransom. It's the second major global ransomware attack in the last two months. In early May, Britain's National Health Service (NHS) was among the organizations infected by WannaCry, which used a vulnerability first revealed to the public as part of a leaked stash of NSA-related documents released online in April by a hacker group calling itself the Shadow Brokers. Continue reading...

Women of the favela: life in the abandoned buildings of Rio – in pictures Posted: 27 Jun 2017 11:00 PM PDT Planned improvements to Rio's favelas have meant increases in rent, forcing the poorest families into squatting in unoccupied buildings. Photographer Tariq Zaidi visits the Mangueira community favela, less than 1km from the showpiece Maracanã stadium, to see what life is like for the women living there All photographs by Tariq Zaidi Continue reading...

Grenfell residents' groups compile lists of victims and survivors Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:51 PM PDT Scepticism exists about official death toll amid ongoing concern police and council have been slow to release information Newly formed Grenfell Tower residents' groups have begun several parallel investigative attempts to compile lists of the victims and survivors of the London fire disaster, amid ongoing concern that the police and council have been slow to release information about the death toll. Sajad Jamalvatan, a biomedical engineering student who lived on the third floor of the block, has established a Whatsapp community of 86 families who escaped from the block, calling the group Grenfell United. From conversations with these residents over the past fortnight he is sceptical about the police death toll of 79 and believes that the actual number is likely to be above 120. Continue reading...

Why is Africa so poor? You asked Google – here’s the answer Posted: 28 Jun 2017 12:00 AM PDT Every day millions of internet users ask Google life's most difficult questions, big and small. Our writers answer some of the commonest queries Now here's a question that demands an answer. Why is it that arguably the world's richest continent – in terms of natural resources – has some of the world's poorest people? To answer it, we'd need to take a trip down memory lane. Already I can sense you rolling your eyes deep into the back of your head. "If I hear one more time about slavery in Africa …" We often seem to be a people with little patience for history or interest in the impact of past events on present realities. But time isn't linear and we aren't always moving forward. There is no other way to understand Africa today without considering the history of the continent. Continue reading...

'I should have done more': Chris Patten on leaving Hong Kong without democracy Posted: 27 Jun 2017 10:07 PM PDT 20 years after the handover, the last governor praises 'brave' young activists battling to have their voices heard as China breaches its promises on freedoms "There were flashing lights and hooting and cheering," the last governor of Britain's last colony recalls of the night he sailed out of Hong Kong for the very last time. It was 1 July 1997 and as the royal yacht Britannia slipped out of Victoria Harbour and embarked upon its final, historic voyage across the South China Sea, Chris Patten kicked back with a glass of red wine. Continue reading...

Inspector general to review Australian Tax Office risk of fraud Posted: 28 Jun 2017 01:50 AM PDT Ali Noroozi accepts Labor's request to review policies and procedures following high-profile fraud allegations The inspector general of taxation has agreed to review the Australian Tax Office's internal controls against the risk of fraud after one of its highest-ranking officers, Michael Cranston, was charged with alleged abuse of public office. Ali Noroozi, the inspector general, says he will review the ATO's practices and procedures "to prevent, detect and address" fraud or potential fraud within the organisation, and see how ATO staff are trained. Continue reading...

Wednesday briefing: 'Craven' UK bowing to China, says Patten Posted: 27 Jun 2017 10:17 PM PDT Government accused of weakness over assault on Hong Kong democracy … Grenfell relatives create own death list … Boaty McBoatface goes into action Good morning, Graham Russell here with your morning's news. Continue reading...

The last Hong Kong governor: Chris Patten on 20 years after the handover - video Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:44 PM PDT Chris Patten, Hong Kong's last governor, handed the former colony back to China on 1 July 1997 to be ruled with a degree of autonomy under a system called "one country, two systems". Anger at China's refusal to grant genuine democracy to the former British colony sparked an unprecedented 79-day street protest in 2014. Here he reflects on leaving Hong Kong and what the game plan should be going forward Britain has demeaned itself with China Continue reading...

Chris Patten: A craven Britain has demeaned itself with China, Brexit will make it worse Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:30 PM PDT Hong Kong's last governor is 'astonished' at Britain's behaviour and says it must be firmer as it searches for a post-EU trade relationship The British government's "kowtowing" to China on issues including human rights and Hong Kong's quest for democracy will become increasingly craven following the UK's departure from the European Union, the former colony's last governor has warned. In an interview with the Guardian marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese control, on 1 July 1997, Lord Patten attacked what he called London's repeated failure to challenge Beijing over its erosion of the territory's freedoms and autonomy. Continue reading...

Police helicopter attacks government buildings in Caracas – video Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:05 PM PDT A helicopter reportedly stolen and flown by a police officer was seen dropping grenades on to the supreme court and the interior ministry. Gunfire could also be heard during the attack, which was condemned by President Nicolás Maduro in a televised address. The police officer involved later released a video statement in which he was flanked by four heavily armed men. Venezuela: police helicopter attacks supreme court with grenades Continue reading...

How China changed Hong Kong: views from the city Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:00 PM PDT As the 20th anniversary of the handover from the UK to China is marked, the Guardian talks to residents and officials about the shifts since 1997 Hong Kong is preparing to mark the 20th anniversary of the handover of the territory from the UK to China. The moment will bring thousands on to the streets – some to celebrate and others to protest. Here the Guardian asks six Hong Kong residents about their memories of 1997 and their thoughts on the city's future. Continue reading...

Donald Trump considering China sanctions over North Korea, say officials Posted: 27 Jun 2017 08:03 PM PDT Inaction over Pyongyang and trade war thought to have prompted the US president to look at options including tariffs on steel imports US president Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with China over its inaction on North Korea and bilateral trade issues and is now considering possible trade actions against Beijing, three senior administration officials told Reuters. The officials said Trump was impatient with China and was looking at options including tariffs on steel imports, which commerce secretary Wilbur Ross has already said he is considering as part of a national security study of the domestic steel industry. Continue reading...

Bill Cosby likely won't speak publicly before sexual assault retrial, lawyer says Posted: 27 Jun 2017 05:23 PM PDT Amid rumors that disgraced comedian wanted to hold series of town halls, attorney said she 'can't imagine' his legal team would let him perform or speak Bill Cosby's "town hall" tour is unlikely to happen before his retrial on sex assault charges in Pennsylvania, one of his lawyers said Tuesday. Related: Bill Cosby plans to teach young people how to not get accused of sexual assault Continue reading...

Myanmar: Detained journalists to be charged under colonial-era law Posted: 27 Jun 2017 05:22 PM PDT Arrests have alarmed country's media community, fuelling fears that freedom of speech has become increasingly restricted under Aung San Suu Kyi Three Myanmar reporters detained at an undisclosed location by the army will be charged under a colonial-era statute against "unlawful association" and face up to three years in jail, government and army officials have said. The military arrested the journalists in Myanmar's northeastern Shan state on Monday after they covered a drug-burning event organised by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group designated as an "unlawful association" by the Yangon authorities. Continue reading...

Angela Merkel: I search Trump on Twitter for latest US news – video Posted: 27 Jun 2017 08:53 AM PDT Angela Merkel speaks at an event in Berlin on Tuesday. Asked about her use of Twitter the German chancellor says she doesn't tweet but searches for what interests her. The interviewer then asks how Merkel keeps on top of US politics, to which she responds she just types Donald Trump Continue reading...

Andimba Toivo ya Toivo obituary Posted: 27 Jun 2017 08:24 AM PDT Freedom fighter who led the struggle to liberate Namibia before spending 16 years in a South African jail with Nelson Mandela Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, who has died aged 92, led the struggle to liberate Namibia from apartheid South Africa as a freedom fighter in the mould of Nelson Mandela, with whom he was imprisoned on Robben Island. Toivo's uncompromising nature was exemplified when, in August 1967, he stood trial in a Pretoria court, charged with the capital offence of terrorism. "Is it surprising that in such times my countrymen have taken up arms?" he asked. "Violence is truly fearsome, but who would not defend his property and himself against a robber?" That robber was South Africa, which had been granted trusteeship of the German territory of Deutsch-Südwestafrika after the first world war, only to refuse to allow it independence after the second world war. Continue reading...

French woman goes on trial accused of helping lover cross Channel Posted: 27 Jun 2017 05:52 AM PDT Béatrice Huret charged with illegally assisting migrant for helping Iranian man she met and fell in love with at Calais camp A former supporter of France's anti-immigration National Front has gone on trial accused of helping her Iranian refugee lover cross the English Channel to Britain. Béatrice Huret faces up 10 years in jail if convicted of helping Mokhtar – whom she met while volunteering at the since-demolished migrant camp in Calais – slip out of France under cover of night on a rickety boat. Continue reading...

What do we know about regime's use of chemical weapons in Syria? Posted: 27 Jun 2017 05:29 AM PDT Assad regime has deployed chemical weapons including chlorine and sarin on number of occasions since outbreak of war in 2011 Assad preparing chemical weapons attack, US claims The Syrian military is making preparations for a chemical weapons attack that "would result in the mass murder of civilians, including children". Continue reading...

Japanese schoolboy breaks shogi record - video Posted: 27 Jun 2017 05:04 AM PDT Fourteen-year-old Sota Fujii has broken a historical record by winning 29 consecutive shogi matches. The game is similar to chess and is played on a 9x9 board. Fujii won the game during the first round of the prestigious Ryuo championship in Tokyo. If he wins the tournament, he will take home 43m yen (£302,000) in prize money Japan's love of shogi reignited thanks to 14-year-old record breaker Continue reading...

Angela Merkel signals change in stance on gay marriage in Germany Posted: 27 Jun 2017 04:52 AM PDT Chancellor's party has resisted calls for same-sex marriage to be legalised but she says MPs should have free vote on matter Angela Merkel has signalled a change in her party's opposition to gay marriage after stating MPs should be allowed a free vote in the German parliament. Speaking at an event organised by the magazine Brigitte, the German chancellor said she felt aggrieved that debate was mainly carried out along party lines and that she hoped it would be "headed towards a conscience vote". Continue reading...

Canada celebrates 150 but indigenous groups say history is being 'skated over' Posted: 27 Jun 2017 03:00 AM PDT Anniversary marks British North America Act of 1867, but many people are rejecting the official celebrations and instead highlighting indigenous resilience Two hundred paddlers will weave through the waters, their canoes carving a thin line in English Bay against the backdrop of Vancouver's dramatic skyline. When they pull in to Vanier Park – one of the many destinations on their 10-day journey – local chiefs from the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations will greet them and offer permission to step ashore on to their traditional territories. Continue reading...

Japan's love of shogi reignited thanks to 14-year-old record-breaker Posted: 27 Jun 2017 02:57 AM PDT Millions follow live on TV as Sota Fujii scores 29th consecutive win in Japanese board game that last sparked the country's interest in the mid-1990s A schoolboy has set a record for consecutive victories in professional shogi – a Japanese version of chess – winning plaudits from the prime minister and sparking a surge of interest in the board game. Sota Fujii, 14, recorded his 29th straight win late on Monday, taking more than 11 hours to beat his opponent in the first round of the prestigious Ryuo championship in Tokyo. Continue reading...

US human trafficking report promotes Myanmar but demotes China Posted: 27 Jun 2017 09:42 AM PDT State Department's annual report rewards Myanmar for efforts against recruitment of child soldiers, but says China not doing enough to end trafficking The US asserted on Tuesday that Myanmar is no longer one of the world's worst offenders on human trafficking, removing it and Iraq from a list of countries that use child soldiers. But in its annual Trafficking in Persons report, the State Department also demoted China to the lowest ranking over its trafficking record, putting it in the same category as North Korea, Zimbabwe and Syria. Continue reading...

Peru launches investigation as fire kills workers 'locked inside container' Posted: 27 Jun 2017 06:24 AM PDT Peru's president condemns conditions of 'slave workers' as four young people die in blaze in Lima, at least two of whom were reportedly imprisoned inside Peru's public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into human trafficking and labour exploitation following a fire in the capital that killed four young people. It is claimed that at least two of the men, Jorge Luis Huamán, 19, and Jovi Herrera, 21, had been locked inside a container on the roof of the Nicolini building in Lima by a boss they only knew as "gringo", when fire ripped through it on 22 June. Continue reading...

Trump's disdain for diplomacy is making the world more dangerous Posted: 27 Jun 2017 05:08 AM PDT The US president's preference for public bellicosity and instant military action has potential to cause a lot of damage Donald Trump's warning of renewed US military action against Syria, backed by Britain and condemned by Russia, fits a now established pattern of aggressive White House behaviour favouring violence, or public threats of violence, over quiet diplomacy and private coercion. So far, the damage has been limited. But it's early days. Related: Three-quarters of world has little or no confidence in Trump, Pew study finds Continue reading...

Trump, on the phone to Irish PM, tells reporter she has a 'nice smile on her face' – video Posted: 27 Jun 2017 04:46 PM PDT US President Donald Trump has spoken to Ireland's newly-elected Taoiseach Leo Varadkar from the Oval Office. During the call, reporters from the Irish media were present. At one point Trump tells Varadkar he has "a lot of these beautiful Irish press" in the room and singles out Caitriona Perry, asking her to come forward and tell him her name. As she explains who she works for, Trump says "she has a nice smile on her face so I'm sure she treats you well." Perry, Washington correspondent for RTE, posted the exchange on Twitter, calling it "bizarre". Continue reading...

Reporter challenges White House spokeswoman over fake news claims – video Posted: 27 Jun 2017 01:06 PM PDT A reporter challenges deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday after she accused the media of perpetuating fake news against the Trump administration. Karim tells Huckabee Sanders that she is being inflammatory and adds that journalists are subject to professional standards 'Fake news': Trump tweets glee as three CNN journalists resign over Russia story Continue reading...

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