World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- George Pell takes leave from Vatican to fight sexual abuse charges in Australia
- Security lockdown in Hong Kong as Xi Jinping marks anniversary of handover
- Trump travel ban: new visa criteria set to come into effect
- Brexit could blow €20bn hole in EU budget, warns European commissioner
- Italy considers closing its ports to boats carrying migrants
- Dead heads: Turkish site reveals more evidence of neolithic 'skull cult'
- Republicans rush to prevent health bill's collapse after vote postponed
- US claims warning over possible Syria chemical attack averted strike
- Academy invites record 744 new members amid effort to increase diversity
- Donald Trump to visit Paris for Bastille Day ceremonies
- US unveils new airline security measures to avoid laptop ban
- World has three years left to stop dangerous climate change, warn experts
- Sniper's record kill shot in Iraq 'should be celebrated', Trudeau says
- Duterte tells troops fighting militants not to worry about civilian deaths
- A winning smile avoids showing too many teeth, researchers say
- Maximum human lifespan could far exceed 115 years – new research
- French air force chief accused of using fighter jet for weekend jaunts
- North Korea threatens South's ex-leader with death over 'plot to kill Kim'
- Google can be forced to pull results globally, Canada supreme court rules
- Germany to vote on same-sex marriage after Merkel drops opposition
- Authorities to investigate Jay Sekulow nonprofit after 'troubling' revelations
- Antarctica's ice-free areas to increase by up to a quarter by 2100, study says
- Son of parents exposed as Russian spies has Canadian citizenship restored
- Thai doctor fights against carcinogenic raw fish dish that killed his parents
- Bright nights: scientists explain rare phenomenon of 'nocturnal sun'
- Berlin police taken off G20 duty after party involving public sex and urination
- Counter-terrorism was never meant to be Silicon Valley's job. Is that why it's failing?
- Man destroys Arkansas Ten Commandments monument hours after installation
- Former Israel PM Ehud Olmert granted early release from prison
- Caribbean migrants risk danger and discrimination for a new life in Chile
- Cardinal Pell: 'I'm looking forward finally to having my day in court' – video
- Cardinal George Pell: Vatican official charged with multiple sexual offences
- Patriarchy on the canal: why is there only one female gondolier in Venice?
- Mayors of 7,400 cities vow to meet Obama's climate commitments
- The billionaire and the airport: could his last act in Mexico City ruin Carlos Slim?
- A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change'
- Grenfell Tower inquiry judge to meet residents and survivors
- Labour includes key manifesto pledges in new Queen’s speech amendment
- Leading author joins boycott of Swedish book fair due to extremist newspaper's presence
- British minister accused of 'appeasing' China during human rights talks
- Cardinal Pell will receive fair trial in Australian court, legal expert says
- New Zealand gave Peter Thiel citizenship after he spent just 12 days there
- Tensions high in Hong Kong as Xi Jinping arrives for handover celebrations – video
- Thursday briefing: Vatican's treasurer charged with sex offences
- Mafia gangs move to Germany as business hits hard times in Sicily
- My (short) life as an airport security guard
- Philippines says beheaded civilians found in Isis-held town
- Disabled passenger forced by Japanese airline to crawl up stairs to board plane
- Pope Francis announces five new cardinals, including first from Mali
- Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong detained by police before Xi visit
- Brazil president in trouble as top senator quits and says government 'discredited'
- Patriot, or government plant? Rumors fly over Venezuela helicopter attack
- Bangladesh must act on its ‘disappeared’ | Letters
- Rudd enters row on NHS charging women from Northern Ireland for abortions
- Can Justin Trudeau’s socks bring peace to the world?
- Faecal bacteria found in ice from Costa, Caffè Nero and Starbucks
- Chagos Islanders take marine park case to supreme court
- What do we know about the Venezuela helicopter attack?
- Ogoni widows file civil writ accusing Shell of complicity in Nigeria killings
- Child marriage will cost the world $4tn by 2030, researchers warn
- Why the world should pay attention to America’s civil war over healthcare
- Why are 13 men in charge of healthcare for all American women?
- Trump: approval for Senate health bill ‘very tough’ to attain – video
- Man rescued from river after being swept away - video
- Swarm of bees take up temporary residence in New York's Times Square – video
| George Pell takes leave from Vatican to fight sexual abuse charges in Australia Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:45 PM PDT
Cardinal George Pell, Australia's most senior Catholic and the third highest ranking official in the Vatican, is taking leave from the Holy See to return to Australia to face historical sexual assault charges. Pell confirmed on Thursday in Rome that he had spoken to Pope Francis and been granted leave. The Vatican in turn responded with a statement supportive of Pell. Continue reading... |
| Security lockdown in Hong Kong as Xi Jinping marks anniversary of handover Posted: 28 Jun 2017 07:43 PM PDT About 11,000 officers will be deployed during Chinese president's visit as areas of the city are made off limits to the public Swaths of Hong Kong have been placed under an unprecedented security lockdown as Chinese president Xi Jinping arrived in the city to mark 20 years since the UK handed the city back to China. Mass protests are expected to greet Xi on the 1 July anniversary, an annual tradition amplified by his presence in the city. Prominent Hong Kong democracy activists, including Joshua Wong and lawmaker Nathan Law, were arrested after they staged a sit in the night before Xi's arrival. Continue reading... |
| Trump travel ban: new visa criteria set to come into effect Posted: 28 Jun 2017 08:32 PM PDT Instructions issued to US embassies for travellers from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen – and all refugees – to take effect on Thursday The Trump administration has set new criteria for visa applicants from six Muslim-majority countries and all refugees, requiring a "close" family or business tie to be eligible to enter the United States. Related: Trump travel ban ruling is racist and unfair, Iran says Continue reading... |
| Brexit could blow €20bn hole in EU budget, warns European commissioner Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:10 PM PDT Günther Oettinger says need to finance new initiatives in areas such as defence and security means gap could be twice as much Britain's withdrawal from the EU could leave the remaining 27 countries with a €20bn a year hole in their budget, requiring additional EU taxes to fill the gap, the European commission has said. Related: Philip Hammond: Brexit petty politics must not hinder 'economic logic' Continue reading... |
| Italy considers closing its ports to boats carrying migrants Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:58 AM PDT Government reportedly seeking EU approval of drastic changes to asylum procedures after surge in refugee arrivals The Italian government is considering blocking boats carrying migrants from landing at its ports after nearly 11,000 refugees arrived on its shores in five days. It has been reported that the government has given its ambassador to the EU, Maurizio Massari, a mandate to raise the issue formally with the European commission to seek permission for a drastic revision of EU asylum procedures. One idea being discussed is denying docking privileges to boats not carrying Italian flags that seek to land in Italian ports, mainly in Sicily or Calabria. Continue reading... |
| Dead heads: Turkish site reveals more evidence of neolithic 'skull cult' Posted: 28 Jun 2017 12:06 PM PDT Fragments of three skulls found at Göbekli Tepe have hallmarks of being carved with flint after being scalped and defleshed first Fragments of carved bone unearthed at an ancient site on a Turkish hillside are evidence that the people who spent time there belonged to a neolithic "skull cult" – a group that embraces rituals around the heads of the dead. The remains were uncovered during field work at Göbekli Tepe, an 11,000-year-old site in the south-east of the country, where thousands of pieces of human bone were found, including sections of skulls bearing grooves, holes and the occasional dab of ochre. Continue reading... |
| Republicans rush to prevent health bill's collapse after vote postponed Posted: 28 Jun 2017 03:04 PM PDT Mitch McConnell hopes to forge agreement before Senate recess as Trump promises 'great, great surprise' – but polls show little support for measure As Republican leadership attempts to heal the deep divisions in the party to save their stalled healthcare bill from collapse, some lawmakers are proposing a more novel solution: bipartisanship. On Wednesday, Republicans paraded before Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's office with a range of concerns and demands about the healthcare bill, which a recent analysis found would leave 22 million more Americans without health insurance over the next decade. Continue reading... |
| US claims warning over possible Syria chemical attack averted strike Posted: 28 Jun 2017 12:58 PM PDT Russia warns US of proportional response to any preemptive measures against Syrian forces as US official calls intelligence behind warning 'far from conclusive' US defence secretary James Mattis has said that Syria appears to have heeded a warning from Washington not to carry out a chemical weapons attack. Meanwhile Russia, the main backer of President Bashar al-Assad, warned that it would respond proportionately if the US took preemptive measures against Syrian forces. Continue reading... |
| Academy invites record 744 new members amid effort to increase diversity Posted: 28 Jun 2017 01:09 PM PDT The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 2017 class includes Gal Gadot and Barry Jenkins, attempting to make good on a promise to diversify The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that it had invited a record 744 new members to its governing body, surpassing the 683 invitations issued in 2016. The Academy has been under pressure to diversify its membership for several years, reaching a crescendo in 2015, when all 20 acting nominees were white, prompting the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite and a collective push to ensure the awards show's governing body included more women and people of color. Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump to visit Paris for Bastille Day ceremonies Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:25 AM PDT US president accepts Emmanuel Macron's invitation to attend ceremony marking 100th anniversary of America's entry into first world war Donald Trump will attend France's Bastille Day celebrations in Paris on 14 July, after accepting an invitation from the French president, Emmanuel Macron. Macron's office said on Wednesday that the US president would attend the traditional Paris military parade as part of the commemoration marking the 100th anniversary of the entry of the United States into the first world war. US troops will join French soldiers in the annual display of military might on the Champs Elysées. Continue reading... |
| US unveils new airline security measures to avoid laptop ban Posted: 28 Jun 2017 01:38 PM PDT
US Homeland Security secretary John Kelly on Wednesday unveiled enhanced security measures for foreign flights arriving in the United States in what officials said was a move to prevent an expansion of an in-cabin ban on laptops and other large electronic devices. "Inaction is not an option," Kelly said, saying he believed airlines will comply with the new screening. But he said the measures were not the last step to tighten security. Continue reading... |
| World has three years left to stop dangerous climate change, warn experts Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:00 AM PDT Former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres among signatories of letter warning that the next three years will be crucial to stopping the worst effects of global warming Avoiding dangerous levels of climate change is still just about possible, but will require unprecedented effort and coordination from governments, businesses, citizens and scientists in the next three years, a group of prominent experts has warned. Warnings over global warming have picked up pace in recent months, even as the political environment has grown chilly with Donald Trump's formal announcement of the US's withdrawal from the Paris agreement. This year's weather has beaten high temperature records in some regions, and 2014, 2015 and 2016 were the hottest years on record. Continue reading... |
| Sniper's record kill shot in Iraq 'should be celebrated', Trudeau says Posted: 28 Jun 2017 12:49 PM PDT
A record-shattering lethal shot fired by a Canadian sniper in Iraq has reignited a longstanding debate over Canada's role in the region, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telling reporters it was "entirely consistent" with the country's non-combat mission and should be celebrated. Last week, the defence department confirmed reports that a Canadian sniper had shot an Isis militant from 3,540 metres (2 miles) away. The shot surpassed the previous world military record for the longest confirmed kill – held by a British sniper who took aim at a Taliban fighter in 2009 – by more than a kilometre. Continue reading... |
| Duterte tells troops fighting militants not to worry about civilian deaths Posted: 28 Jun 2017 09:29 AM PDT Philippines president tells soldiers trying to suppress uprising linked to Isis that that he will protect them if they accidentally kill civilians The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has assured troops he would protect them from any legal action if they accidentally killed civilians while battling militants who have besieged a southern city. Duterte ordered the army to destroy the militants aligned with Islamic State who attacked Marawi on 23 May, sparking fighting that has left more than 400 combatants and civilians dead. |
| A winning smile avoids showing too many teeth, researchers say Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:24 AM PDT US scientists have investigated the makeup of the perfect smile, saying the findings could be useful for clinicians working to restore facial movement If you want your smile to appear pleasant, you might want to avoid a dazzling beam, research suggests. A study by scientists in the US has found that wide smiles with a high angle and showing a lot of teeth are not the best at creating a positive impression. "A lot of people don't understand how important their smiles are and how important this aspect of communication we do with each other every day is," said Stephen Guy, a co-author of the research from the University of Minnesota. The authors say the findings could prove valuable for clinicians working to restore facial movement and expression to those who have experienced facial paralysis. Continue reading... |
| Maximum human lifespan could far exceed 115 years – new research Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:40 AM PDT Five research teams say there is no compelling evidence there is an upper limit on mortality, disputing claim in Nature The maximum human lifespan could far exceed previous predictions, according to work that challenges the idea that humans are approaching a hard limit on longevity. The latest research comes in response to a recent high-profile paper that concluded "maximum longevity has hit a ceiling of 114.9 years" – a claim that prompted extraordinary levels of criticism from the scientific community. Now five separate research teams have launched critiques of the work in a series of papers in the journal Nature. Continue reading... |
| French air force chief accused of using fighter jet for weekend jaunts Posted: 28 Jun 2017 07:57 AM PDT Gen Richard Reboul has requisitioned an Alpha jet about 10 times since August to fly to and from Provence home, report claims The distance by road from Bordeaux, in the south-west of France, to the attractive town of Salon-de-Provence in the south-east is 373 miles (600km), a journey that with luck and an absence of embouteillages (traffic jams) will take between five and six hours. The train takes at least seven, and a commercial flight just over one, plus a half-hour drive from Marseille airport. So for weekends away at his place in Provence, the acting commander-in-chief of the French airforce took a fighter jet instead, according to the investigative and satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaîné. Continue reading... |
| North Korea threatens South's ex-leader with death over 'plot to kill Kim' Posted: 28 Jun 2017 09:18 AM PDT Pyongyang says Park Geun-hye pushed forward plan to assassinate Kim Jong-un and it has imposed death penalty on her North Korea has threatened to impose the death penalty on the South's former president Park Geun-hye over an alleged plot to assassinate its leader, Kim Jong-un. Park had "pushed forward" a supposed plan by Seoul's intelligence services to eliminate the North's leadership, Pyongyang's security ministries and prosecutors said in a joint statement carried by its official Korean Central News Agency. Continue reading... |
| Google can be forced to pull results globally, Canada supreme court rules Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:46 PM PDT Decision says country's courts are able to operate 'the way Google operates – globally', but civil liberties advocates warn of censorship online Canadian courts can force Google to remove results worldwide, the country's top court has ruled, in decision criticised by civil liberties groups that argue such a move sets a precedent for censorship on the internet. In its 7-2 decision, Canada's supreme court found that a court in the country can grant an injunction preventing conduct anywhere in the world when it is necessary to ensure the injunction's effectiveness. Continue reading... |
| Germany to vote on same-sex marriage after Merkel drops opposition Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:05 AM PDT Bill to grant full marital rights to gay couples hastily put on agenda after chancellor signalled shift in her position on issue A lesbian couple who inspired Angela Merkel to soften her opposition to same-sex marriage have said they will invite the German chancellor to their wedding if a bill to legalise the ceremony is passed on Friday. A free vote is expected to take place in the Bundestag on Friday, a day before the summer recess after being hurriedly put on the parliamentary agenda on Wednesday by the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's junior coalition partners. The SPD said last weekend that an agreement on same-sex marriage would be a central condition to any future coalition. |
| Authorities to investigate Jay Sekulow nonprofit after 'troubling' revelations Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:21 AM PDT
Authorities in two states are looking into a nonprofit led by an attorney to Donald Trump, after the Guardian reported it had steered tens of millions of dollars to the attorney, his family and their businesses. Josh Stein, the attorney general of North Carolina, and Eric Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, said on Wednesday they would be examining the operations of Jay Sekulow's group Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism (Case). Continue reading... |
| Antarctica's ice-free areas to increase by up to a quarter by 2100, study says Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:00 AM PDT If greenhouse gas emissions aren't reduced, ice-free areas are expected to surge by as much as 17,000 square kilometres Climate change will cause ice-free areas on Antarctica to increase by up to a quarter by 2100, threatening the diversity of the unique terrestrial plant and animal life that exists there, according to projections from the first study examining the question in detail. If emissions of greenhouse gasses are not reduced, projected warming and changes in snowfall will cause ice-free areas – which currently make up about 1% of Antarctica and are home to all of the continent's terrestrial plants and animals – to increase by as much as 17,000 square kilometres. Continue reading... |
| Son of parents exposed as Russian spies has Canadian citizenship restored Posted: 28 Jun 2017 03:00 AM PDT Alex Vavilov, born and raised in Canada, 'vindicated and happy' years after he was stripped of citizenship when his parents were arrested by the FBI in 2010 The son of two deep-cover Russian spies has had his Canadian citizenship restored after a long legal battle. The Canadian government had stripped Alex Vavilov of his citizenship after his parents were exposed by the FBI as KGB spies who had spent several decades pretending to be Canadian. Vavilov was born Alexander Foley in Toronto and grew up in France and the US, believing his parents were Canadian-born naturalised Americans. However, in 2010, his parents were arrested by the FBI in a roundup of 11 Russian spies. At the time, Alex was 16. Continue reading... |
| Thai doctor fights against carcinogenic raw fish dish that killed his parents Posted: 28 Jun 2017 05:03 AM PDT Koi pla, raw fish ground with spices and lime, is thought to kill up to 20,000 people in Thailand every year A doctor in Thailand whose parents died from liver cancer after eating a much-loved raw fish dish is travelling the country's rural north-east to warn people off the recipe. Koi pla, a cheap plate of raw fish ground with spices and lime, is eaten by millions of Thais, especially in one of the nation's poorest provinces, Isaan. Continue reading... |
| Bright nights: scientists explain rare phenomenon of 'nocturnal sun' Posted: 28 Jun 2017 03:00 AM PDT Researchers in Canada say 'zonal waves' in upper atmosphere may explain why people have reported oddly well-lit evenings since Roman times The Romans referred to it as the "nocturnal sun". Later accounts describe it as an unexplained glow – bright enough to read a book by – that would sometimes light up the night sky. Now researchers from York University in Canada have come up with a possible explanation for the rare phenomenon known as "bright nights". Using satellite data, two atmospheric scientists from the Toronto institution suggest that the bright nights are not due to the sun or meteors, but instead the result of converging "zonal waves" in Earth's upper atmosphere. Continue reading... |
| Berlin police taken off G20 duty after party involving public sex and urination Posted: 28 Jun 2017 04:57 AM PDT About 220 officers released from duty for Hamburg summit after raucous party inside fenced-off grounds of temporary container Berlin's police department said their officers were "only human" after they were expelled from the security force for next week's G20 summit for partying. Related: The party city grows up: how Berlin's clubbers built their own urban village Continue reading... |
| Counter-terrorism was never meant to be Silicon Valley's job. Is that why it's failing? Posted: 29 Jun 2017 02:00 AM PDT Extremist content is spreading online and law enforcement can't keep up. The result is a private workforce that's secretive, inaccurate and unaccountable Counter-terrorism is being slowly privatized and carried out by low-paid workers at technology companies such as Facebook, Google and Twitter. Although these companies hire expert advisers and former government agents to tackle extremist propaganda and recruitment enabled by their platforms, much of the grunt work is carried out by contractors earning $15 an hour or, in YouTube's case, volunteers. Continue reading... |
| Man destroys Arkansas Ten Commandments monument hours after installation Posted: 29 Jun 2017 01:43 AM PDT Michael Tate Reed accused of defacing sculpture after video appears to show driver ramming into it shouting 'Freedom!' A man shouting "Freedom!" has crashed a vehicle into a newly erected Ten Commandments monument in Arkansas. The privately funded granite slab had been in place outside the state capitol in Little Rock for less than 24 hours before it was knocked from its plinth and smashed to pieces. Continue reading... |
| Former Israel PM Ehud Olmert granted early release from prison Posted: 29 Jun 2017 01:10 AM PDT Olmert, serving 27-month term for corruption, could be freed as early as Sunday after parole board reduces sentence Ehud Olmert, the former Israel prime minister serving a 27-month prison term for corruption, has been granted parole, one of his lawyers said. Israel Radio reported that Olmert, 71, could be freed as early as Sunday after a parole board reduced his sentence by a third, a common practice for prisoners who have committed non-violent crimes. Continue reading... |
| Caribbean migrants risk danger and discrimination for a new life in Chile Posted: 29 Jun 2017 01:00 AM PDT Many Haitians and Dominicans are moving south for jobs and opportunities – and some are receiving a less than sympathetic welcome after a 3,000km trek Digna Batista was promised she would be heading to paradise when she paid people smugglers to take her from the Dominican Republic to Chile. Instead, she found herself walking across a desert minefield to encounter a less than sympathetic welcome in a society that is struggling to accommodate a growing number of migrants from the Caribbean. Discrimination, labour abuse and outdated immigration policies have made adjustment difficult for many among the more than 50,000 Haitians and 15,000 Dominicans who are part of an economic migration story that is quickly moving up the political agenda before a presidential election later this year. Continue reading... |
| Cardinal Pell: 'I'm looking forward finally to having my day in court' – video Posted: 29 Jun 2017 12:36 AM PDT Cardinal George Pell, Australia's most senior Catholic and the third highest ranking official in the Vatican, tells reporters he is taking leave from the Holy See to return to Australia to face historical sexual assault charges. Pell confirmed on Thursday in Rome that he had spoken to Pope Francis and been granted leave. The Vatican in turn responded with a statement supportive of Pell Continue reading... |
| Cardinal George Pell: Vatican official charged with multiple sexual offences Posted: 29 Jun 2017 12:07 AM PDT
Cardinal George Pell, Australia's most senior Catholic and the third-ranking official in the Vatican, has been charged with multiple sexual offences by police. The charges were served on Pell's legal representatives in Melbourne on Thursday and they have been lodged also at Melbourne magistrates court. He has been ordered to appear at the court on 18 July. Continue reading... |
| Patriarchy on the canal: why is there only one female gondolier in Venice? Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:00 PM PDT A 24-year-old broke with 900 years of tradition when she passed the strict boating exam – but why have no other women joined her? For nearly a millennium Venice's gondoliers were exclusively male. Locked in a tradition of handing down the prestigious role from father to son, it wasn't until 2010 that 24-year-old Giorgia Boscolo turned the tide in a profession that has been a pillar of the ancient city since 1094. Boscolo followed in the footsteps of her father, Dante, who had been a gondolier for 40 years. She was granted the coveted licence to guide tourists through the city's labyrinthine canals after passing a demanding six-month course. In doing so, she became the first officially recognised female gondoliera, finally breaking the mould in a guild that had long resisted women. Continue reading... |
| Mayors of 7,400 cities vow to meet Obama's climate commitments Posted: 28 Jun 2017 03:13 AM PDT 'Global covenant of mayors' to work together on climate change whether current White House resident agrees or not Mayors of more than 7,400 cities across the world have vowed that Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris accord will spur greater local efforts to combat climate change. At the first meeting of a "global covenant of mayors", city leaders from across the US, Europe and elsewhere pledged to work together to keep to the commitments made by Barack Obama two years ago. Continue reading... |
| The billionaire and the airport: could his last act in Mexico City ruin Carlos Slim? Posted: 28 Jun 2017 02:26 AM PDT In what is likely his last great urban intervention, the billionaire is constructing a massive new airport. The $13.4bn project is highly complex and controversial – can he pull it off? It is sometimes hard to tell where Carlos Slim stops and Mexico City starts. He controls most of the mobile phone, landline and internet markets. His telecoms company, Telmex, installed the city's surveillance cameras. Grupo Carso, his flagship infrastructure conglomerate, runs the city's principal water treatment plant. His bank, Inbursa, is Mexico's sixth largest. He even owns the city's only aquarium. In 2015 Slim's companies accounted for 6% of the entire country's GDP, according to the Mexican media outlet El Universal. These holdings run parallel to a vast network of strategically located retail properties. But more than anywhere or anyone else, the 77-year-old tycoon and sometime world's richest man has grown with the capital. Like a ghost in a shell, Carlos Slim has become part of Mexico City's urban fabric. Continue reading... |
| A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change' Posted: 28 Jun 2017 05:50 AM PDT Exclusive: Annual consumption of plastic bottles is set to top half a trillion by 2021, far outstripping recycling efforts and jeopardising oceans, coastlines and other environments
A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and the number will jump another 20% by 2021, creating an environmental crisis some campaigners predict will be as serious as climate change. New figures obtained by the Guardian reveal the surge in usage of plastic bottles, more than half a trillion of which will be sold annually by the end of the decade. |
| Grenfell Tower inquiry judge to meet residents and survivors Posted: 29 Jun 2017 02:30 AM PDT One resident says it will be 'impossible task' for Sir Martin Moore-Bick to overcome mistrust of community in wake of fire The retired judge chosen to head the inquiry the Grenfell Tower fire was due to meet residents and survivors on Thursday morning amid early doubts about his appointment. Sir Martin Moore-Pick was due to meet a representative group at a private meeting at 10am in the shadow of the charred tower before his appointment is officially confirmed by the government. Continue reading... |
| Labour includes key manifesto pledges in new Queen’s speech amendment Posted: 29 Jun 2017 02:05 AM PDT Amendment calls for Brexit that has 'exact same benefits' as single market, with focus on outcome that prioritises jobs and economy Labour will put key planks of its manifesto to the House of Commons on Thursday, including proposals to scrap tuition fees, end austerity measures and deliver a Brexit that has the "exact same benefits" as the single market. The party has tabled a substantial new amendment to the Queen's speech after Wednesday's attempt failed, which called on the government to end the the public sector pay cap and cuts to policing budgets. Continue reading... |
| Leading author joins boycott of Swedish book fair due to extremist newspaper's presence Posted: 28 Jun 2017 06:57 PM PDT Ngugi wa Thiong'o cancels attendance because of Nya Tider, but organisers says 'dialogue is best way to beat racism and xenophobia' Kenyan literary icon Ngugi wa Thiong'o, often tipped for the Nobel literature prize, has pulled out of an annual Swedish book fair in protest at the presence of a right-wing extremist newspaper, his publisher said Wednesday. The 75-year-old author of A Grain of Wheat (1967) and Petals of Blood (1975), wrote an email to his Swedish publisher Modernista informing them he would cancel his attendance at the Gothenburg Book Fair "in solidarity with the writers withdrawing and of course with the concerns behind their withdrawal," referring to the newspaper Nya Tider, which will be represented at the fair. Continue reading... |
| British minister accused of 'appeasing' China during human rights talks Posted: 29 Jun 2017 12:06 AM PDT Foreign office minister Mark Field said he was 'pleased' by the UK-China dialogue but failed to mention plight of dying dissident Liu Xiaobo Activists have urged Britain to abandon its "appeasement" of Beijing after the foreign office hailed a "constructive and open" conversation with China over human rights even as that country wages what campaigners call its worst crackdown in decades. British and Chinese officials met in Beijing for a two-day human rights "dialogue" this week as outrage over the treatment of China's most famous dissident, the Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, grew. Continue reading... |
| Cardinal Pell will receive fair trial in Australian court, legal expert says Posted: 29 Jun 2017 01:10 AM PDT Law professor says 'most of the reporting on Pell has been fair, balanced and factual' and legal system will ensure fairness when he faces sexual assault allegations There is nothing to suggest Cardinal George Pell won't get a fair trial when he faces sexual assault allegations before an Australian court, international legal expert Professor Gideon Boas, has said. Boas, a barrister and professor of law at La Trobe University, was responding to the announcement by Victoria Police on Thursday that charges had been served on Pell relating to multiple alleged historical sexual offences following a lengthy investigation. Continue reading... |
| New Zealand gave Peter Thiel citizenship after he spent just 12 days there Posted: 29 Jun 2017 12:02 AM PDT Minister defends approving PayPal co-founder's application, saying he has been 'a great ambassador for New Zealand' Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of Paypal, was granted New Zealand citizenship despite spending only 12 days in the country, new documents have revealed. The government ombudsmen has forced New Zealand authorities to release further details of Thiel's highly unusual citizenship process because it was deemed in the public interest. Continue reading... |
| Tensions high in Hong Kong as Xi Jinping arrives for handover celebrations – video Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:49 PM PDT China's president Xi Jinping was greeted by supporters waving Hong Kong and China flags as he arrived to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the former British colony's return to Chinese control. Elsewhere in the city, pro-democracy activists had staged a series of protests in the run-up to the visit. Continue reading... |
| Thursday briefing: Vatican's treasurer charged with sex offences Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:25 PM PDT Cardinal George Pell says he will return to Australia to clear name … Hong Kong locked down as Xi flies in … airline makes disabled flyer crawl up steps Good morning to you, Graham Russell here with the news to start your day. Continue reading... |
| Mafia gangs move to Germany as business hits hard times in Sicily Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:05 PM PDT Details obtained by the Guardian reveal extent to which Sicilian mafia clans are migrating north after running into financial problems in Italy Sicilian mafia clans are decamping north to Germany in search of business opportunities in response to poor economic conditions in southern Europe and an Italian government crackdown on organised crime. Details obtained by the Guardian of a large-scale anti-drug operation in Germany's south-west reveal the extent to which mafia clans are said to have migrated to some of the wealthiest regions of Europe's economic powerhouse after running into financial problems in Italy. |
| My (short) life as an airport security guard Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:00 PM PDT Many people leave airport security feeling dehumanised, frightened, even violated. How do the officers feel? Edward Schwarzschild decided to find out It was my first shift of on-the-job training as a transportation security officer at Albany International Airport's only checkpoint, and I was told to shadow Steven, a fast-talking, big-bellied former car salesman. We started our rotation at "divestiture," the Transportation Security Administration's term for the place where you surrender your belongings. I rehearsed the script about emptying all pockets, putting laptops in their own trays, and removing shoes, jackets and belts. After 15 minutes of that, it was on to the next task. We moved from bag search to the walk-through metal detector, to the document checker, to the scanner, then back around to divestiture. Steven pattered advice my way as we circled the checkpoint. "Carry extra gloves in your back pocket," he said. "Make sure they're not too tight. And remember, you're in charge. This is your house." It didn't feel like my house, which I'd left at 4am, tiptoeing out so as not to wake my wife and three-year-old son. And despite my brand new, titanium-blue uniform, complete with patches, epaulettes and a shiny nametag, I didn't feel in charge at all. While I listened to Steven, I scanned the checkpoint for my fellow TSOs-in-training. Eight of us had just spent two weeks in a heavily air-conditioned, windowless classroom together. In our civilian clothes, we had listened to lectures, learned how to read x-ray images, practised pat-downs, and passed various tests. I caught sight of one of my classmates: Nina, a bubbly former schoolteacher. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she worked the walk-through metal detector. She didn't look in charge either, but the crisp new uniform lent her an undeniable aura of authority. She gave me the thumbs-up and I returned the favour, remembering my pre-dawn drive to the airport. A cover of Feeling Good had been playing on the radio as I pulled into the employee car park: It's a new dawn / It's a new day / It's a new life … I had walked toward the terminal with the music still buzzing in my ears. Red lights glowed out on the tarmac. Under the layers of asphalt and concrete, there was marshland. Along the chain-link fences, cattails still grew tall, rustling in the wind. They were stiff from the cold, and I listened to them brush like bamboo against the fence, an odd but soothing windchime. Continue reading... |
| Philippines says beheaded civilians found in Isis-held town Posted: 28 Jun 2017 09:03 PM PDT Seventy-one security force personnel and 299 militants killed and 246,000 people displaced in conflict since 23 May Five decapitated civilians were found in a Philippine city occupied by Islamist rebels on Wednesday, the military said, warning the number of residents killed by rebel "atrocities" could rise sharply as troops retake more ground. The discovery of the five victims among 17 bodies retrieved would be the first evidence that civilians trapped in besieged Marawi City have been decapitated during the five-week stand by militants loyal to the Islamic State group, as some who escaped the city have previously reported. Continue reading... |
| Disabled passenger forced by Japanese airline to crawl up stairs to board plane Posted: 28 Jun 2017 05:35 PM PDT Vanilla Air apologises after staff prevent friends from assisting member of a disability non-profit organisation An airline in Japan has apologised to a disabled passenger who was forced to crawl up a flight of stairs to board his plane. Hideto Kijima, who uses a wheelchair, had to hoist himself from the runway at a tiny airport on the resort island of Amami up to the aircraft door, after staff at Vanilla Air refused to allow his friends to carry him aboard. Continue reading... |
| Pope Francis announces five new cardinals, including first from Mali Posted: 28 Jun 2017 04:42 PM PDT Pope instructs cardinals – from Spain, Sweden, Laos and El Salvador as well as Mali – to be servants, not 'princes' Pope Francis gave the Catholic church five new cardinals Wednesday, sombrery instructing them to act as servants and not "princes" in a world where innocents are dying from wars and terrorism, slavery persists and refugee camps often are living hells. Reflecting Francis' attention to the poor, three of the five cardinals hail from developing nations and regions: Bishop Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun of Laos; Bamako Archbishop Jean Zerbo of Mali; and Monsignor Gregorio Rosa Chavez, who continued working as a parish priest while serving as San Salvador's auxiliary bishop. Continue reading... |
| Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong detained by police before Xi visit Posted: 28 Jun 2017 04:16 PM PDT Xi's visit marks 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China, and amid fears are growing Beijing is tightening its grip on the city Hong Kong student pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong was detained by police on Wednesday after an anti-China protest before a visit by President Xi Jinping. Wong was among around 30 protesters who had staged a three-hour sit-in at a harbour front statue and were led away into police vans. Continue reading... |
| Brazil president in trouble as top senator quits and says government 'discredited' Posted: 28 Jun 2017 03:42 PM PDT Departing Senate leader has been a rival of Michel Temer's and apparently wants to distance himself from the deeply unpopular president ahead of re-election bid Another thread of support has been cut away from Brazil's scandal-plagued president Michel Temer after the ruling party's senate leader resigned and declared the government to be "discredited". Renan Calheiros quit his post just hours after the supreme court sent a request to the legislature for the president to be put on trial for allegedly accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the meat-packing company JBS. |
| Patriot, or government plant? Rumors fly over Venezuela helicopter attack Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:57 AM PDT Some speculate that Oscar Perez's actions were an orchestrated distraction from the Maduro regime's further consolidation of power It seemed like a scene from an action movie: the extraordinary tale of a stolen aircraft, a rogue intelligence agent and a daring attack on the symbols of state power in a beleaguered tropical nation. Related: What do we know about the Venezuela helicopter attack? Continue reading... |
| Bangladesh must act on its ‘disappeared’ | Letters Posted: 28 Jun 2017 11:54 AM PDT Lawyer Michael James Polak calls for justice for a client he says is among more than 200 people seized by the security services in Bangladesh Bangladesh high commissioner Nazmul Quaunine defends his government's human rights record and claims the Guardian is wrongly reporting the situation in Bangladesh (Letters, 27 June). I disagree. Over 200 people have been disappeared by the security services under the current government since 2009. One of the more high-profile disappeared people is my client Ahmad Bin Quasem, or Arman as he is known to friends and family. He is a Bangladeshi barrister who was disappeared by the security services in front of his wife, sister, and two young daughters. The UN working group on enforced and involuntary disappearances called on Bangladesh to "act now to halt an increasing number of enforced disappearances in the country" and to immediately reveal Arman's whereabouts. Arman's disappearance has also been raised in a parliamentary question by Shabana Mahmood MP. Despite this, there has been no action nor response from Bangladesh. Continue reading... |
| Rudd enters row on NHS charging women from Northern Ireland for abortions Posted: 28 Jun 2017 10:49 AM PDT Home secretary says those women must have access to terminations in England as pressure mounts to scrap charging policy Women from Northern Ireland must have access to terminations in England, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, has said as pressure mounted from Tory backbenchers for the government to reconsider its policy of charging the women for NHS abortions. About a dozen Conservative MPs are understood to have expressed concerns about the situation in light of their party's confidence and supply arrangement with the anti-abortion DUP. Continue reading... |
| Can Justin Trudeau’s socks bring peace to the world? Posted: 28 Jun 2017 06:25 AM PDT The Canadian prime minister wore rainbow-striped socks emblazoned with 'Eid Mubarak' to Toronto's gay pride parade – and it's not his only political pair Name: Sock diplomacy. Appearance: Colourful. Continue reading... |
| Faecal bacteria found in ice from Costa, Caffè Nero and Starbucks Posted: 28 Jun 2017 06:24 AM PDT BBC Watchdog investigation of iced water from the three major coffee chains found faecal coliform bacteria in samples Ice from three major coffee chains in the UK has been found to contain faecal bacteria. An undercover investigation revealed that iced water obtained from high street outlets Caffè Nero, Starbucks and Costa Coffee all contained faecal coliform bacteria, with a positive test found for seven out of 10 samples from Costa and three out of 10 samples from the other two chains. Continue reading... |
| Chagos Islanders take marine park case to supreme court Posted: 28 Jun 2017 06:08 AM PDT Islanders expelled from Indian Ocean home argue that UK decided to create protected area to stop them returning Chagos Islanders expelled decades ago from their homes on the Indian Ocean archipelago by the UK have taken their case to the supreme court. Opening a fresh legal challenge to restore the rights of the exiled islanders, Nigel Pleming QC said that a United Nations vote last week signalled a significant shift in international opinion on the dispute and that there was increasing pressure on the UK to allow native Chagossians to return to their homes. |
| What do we know about the Venezuela helicopter attack? Posted: 28 Jun 2017 03:08 AM PDT Reports of an assault on the interior ministry and supreme court mark a dramatic escalation following months of protests The country has been convulsed by months of protests against its president, Nicolás Maduro, but Tuesday's events mark a dramatic escalation. Reports suggest that a helicopter piloted by a former police intelligence officer attacked two government buildings in the capital, Caracas, using guns and grenades. Continue reading... |
| Ogoni widows file civil writ accusing Shell of complicity in Nigeria killings Posted: 28 Jun 2017 04:01 PM PDT Women bring case against Shell in the Netherlands seeking damages and public apology for state executions carried out by military court in 1995 The widows of men who were hanged by Nigeria's military government in the 1990s have launched a civil case against Shell, accusing it of complicity in their husbands' executions. Esther Kiobel, the widow of Dr Barinem Kiobel, and three other women whose husbands were hanged in 1995, served a writ in a Dutch court this week, following a 20-year battle with the oil giant. Continue reading... |
| Child marriage will cost the world $4tn by 2030, researchers warn Posted: 28 Jun 2017 06:24 AM PDT Study suggests ending child marriage would save governments and donors hundreds of billions annually, rein in population growth and improve lives Ending child marriage could add more than $4tn to the global economy, curb population growth and transform the lives of millions of young women worldwide, claim researchers. A study by the World Bank and the International Center for Research on Women, the first to quantify the financial cost of the practice, suggests that eradicating child marriage would save governments money while enabling girls to complete their education and get better jobs. Continue reading... |
| Why the world should pay attention to America’s civil war over healthcare Posted: 29 Jun 2017 12:00 AM PDT Proposed changes to healthcare system go much further than NHS privatization – and exposes 'lack of social solidarity' in America For observers around the world, Tuesday's setback for Senate Republicans in their attempt to reverse Barack Obama's healthcare reforms may seem like another perplexing chapter in America's checkered history with the issue. While Britain and other European states have succeeded in securing general access to relatively low-cost, high-quality care for citizens, the United States has repeatedly failed to follow suit, causing anguish at home and bemusement abroad. Continue reading... |
| Why are 13 men in charge of healthcare for all American women? Posted: 28 Jun 2017 03:00 AM PDT Regressive gender politics are resurgent in 2017, as demonstrated by a Republican bill that would be devastating to women's health A decade or two ago, the notion that 13 men would be plotting the fate of American women's healthcare behind closed doors, that they would delight in defunding the women's health organization Planned Parenthood and impeding healthcare access for millions of American women, would have felt like the politics of a bygone era. Midway through 2017, it feels more like deja vu. Continue reading... |
| Trump: approval for Senate health bill ‘very tough’ to attain – video Posted: 28 Jun 2017 12:26 PM PDT Donald Trump said getting approval of the Republican healthcare bill would be 'very tough' but predicted lawmakers would at least be close to passing the bill and might 'get it over the line'. Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said his meeting with most of the Republican senators Tuesday was positive. The Senate delayed its vote until after the Fourth of July holiday Continue reading... |
| Man rescued from river after being swept away - video Posted: 28 Jun 2017 07:17 AM PDT A man from Nevada was rescued from the Yuba river in California after being swept away by strong currents. The California highway patrol winched 25-year-old Kalani Tuiono to safety, who had managed to hoist himself on to a rock just before a 40-50ft waterfall. Shortly after, the patrol had to rescue the man's girlfriend, who ended up stranded after going to look for Tuiono Continue reading... |
| Swarm of bees take up temporary residence in New York's Times Square – video Posted: 28 Jun 2017 02:18 AM PDT Around 30,000 honey bees swarm on a ledge at One Times Square, where the New Year's Eve ball drop happens, in New York. Andrew Coté, a fourth generation beekeeper of AndrewsHoney.com, was called to the rescue and used a vacuum to suck up the bees, who he said were looking for a new home Continue reading... |
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