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- Russia readies for huge military exercises as tensions with west simmer
- 'We know how to live next to Russia': Lithuania builds border fence with Kaliningrad
- Allah-Las gig cancelled in Rotterdam due to terrorism warning
- The school beneath the wave: the unimaginable tragedy of Japan’s tsunami
- Ex-intelligence chief: Trump's access to nuclear codes is 'pretty damn scary'
- Three bodies found on Mont Blanc after being hidden by glacier for decades
- Charlottesville: United Nations warns US over 'alarming' racism
- Viable suicide vest found in rubble of Spain attackers' bomb factory
- Australian spy chief criticised for 'fist bump' gesture with Philippines leader Duterte
- Dozens killed in airstrike on Yemeni hotel
- Cambodia threatens purge of critical media and US charity
- Italian police use water cannon against refugees occupying Rome square
- Indian court rules privacy a 'fundamental right' in battle over national ID cards
- 'The boss wants to talk to you': former UN rights expert on Kenya airport ordeal
- Samsung: leaked texts shed light on company's manipulation of press
- Serbian villages turning into ghost towns – in pictures
- Coal in decline: an energy industry on life support
- Where were you when Diana died? Share your memories
- Britain sends £9m to Libya to fight terror threat and migrant crisis
- 'Mountain man' freed 32 years after kidnapping athlete to be son's bride
- The whole world must join the battle for Venezuela’s El Sistema | Marshall Marcus
- Melbourne trio to stand trial over allegedly planning Christmas Day terrorist attack
- Net migration to UK drops to lowest level for three years
- Cambodia calls US democracy 'bloody and brutal' as charity row escalates
- BBC correspondent Jonathan Head has criminal defamation suit dropped in Thailand
- Thursday briefing: 'Freaked out yet?' Fears of Trump nuclear tantrum
- India warned plan to deport Rohingya refugees will only inflame persecution
- Qatar passes law to protect employment rights of domestic workers
- 'Why are you having sex?': women bear brunt of Uganda's high HIV rate
- White House reveals new look … and Trump chose the wallpaper – in pictures
| Russia readies for huge military exercises as tensions with west simmer Posted: 23 Aug 2017 09:00 PM PDT Display of power involving up to 100,000 people in Belarus, Kaliningrad and Russia itself comes against backdrop of strained relations with west 'We know how to live next to Russia': Lithuania builds border fence with Kaliningrad Russia is preparing to mount what could be one of its biggest military exercises since the cold war, a display of power that will be watched warily by Nato against a backdrop of east-west tensions. Western officials and analysts estimate up to 100,000 military personnel and logistical support could participate in the Zapad (West) 17 exercise, which will take place next month in Belarus, Kaliningrad and Russia itself. Moscow puts the number significantly lower. |
| 'We know how to live next to Russia': Lithuania builds border fence with Kaliningrad Posted: 23 Aug 2017 09:00 PM PDT Russia's recent Baltic moves – huge military exercise, cyber-attacks, missile deployment and seizure of Estonian official – prompt action by Vilnius For those approaching the border crossing from the Lithuanian side, the Russian guards and military personnel are obscured by a bend in the road and the trees of the Ramoniškiai forest. Only a towering communication pole, watching and listening, shows how close they are. Barely 50 vehicles a day pass through here making their way between Lithuania, once part of the Soviet Union, and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea. Wedged between Lithuania to its north and east, and Poland to its south, Kaliningrad is about 800 miles (1,300km) from Moscow. Continue reading... |
| Allah-Las gig cancelled in Rotterdam due to terrorism warning Posted: 24 Aug 2017 01:04 AM PDT Driver held as Spanish-registered van containing gas bottles is found after tipoff from police in Spain Dutch police say they have detained a man in the eastern Brabant province in connection with a threat that forced the cancellation of a concert by a US rock band in the port city of Rotterdam. Police spokesman Roland Ekkers said a 22-year-old man was detained in the early hours of Thursday. No further details about his arrest were immediately available. Continue reading... |
| The school beneath the wave: the unimaginable tragedy of Japan’s tsunami Posted: 23 Aug 2017 10:00 PM PDT In 2011 a tsunami engulfed Japan's north-east coast. More than 18,000 people were killed. Six years later, in one community, survivors are still tormented by a catastrophic split-second decision. By Richard Lloyd Parry The earthquake that struck Japan on Friday 11 March 2011 was the fourth most powerful in the history of seismology. It knocked the Earth six and a half inches off its axis; it moved Japan four metres closer to America. In the tsunami that followed, more than 18,000 people were killed. At its peak, the water was 40 metres high. Half a million people were driven out of their homes. Three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi power station melted down, spilling their radioactivity across the countryside, the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. The earthquake and tsunami caused more than $210bn of damage, making it the most costly natural disaster ever. Pain and anxiety proliferated in ways that are still difficult to measure, even among people remote from the destructive events. Farmers, suddenly unable to sell their produce, killed themselves. Blameless workers in electricity companies found themselves the object of abuse and discrimination. A generalised dread took hold, the fear of an invisible poison spread through air, through water – even, it was said, through mothers' milk. Continue reading... |
| Ex-intelligence chief: Trump's access to nuclear codes is 'pretty damn scary' Posted: 23 Aug 2017 08:17 AM PDT James Clapper questioned the US president's 'fitness to be in this office' after his speech in Phoenix, joining a growing chorus of alarm over his erratic behavior Donald Trump's access to the nuclear codes is "pretty damn scary", a former US intelligence chief has said, calling Trump's rally in Arizona on Tuesday night "disturbing". James Clapper, director of national intelligence (DNI) for seven years under Barack Obama, questioned the US president's "fitness to be in this office" after his demagogic performance in Phoenix, and expressed anxiety about Trump's power to launch nuclear weapons without consulting Congress or any other official. Continue reading... |
| Three bodies found on Mont Blanc after being hidden by glacier for decades Posted: 23 Aug 2017 06:35 PM PDT The corpses were discovered roped together by a French climber according to local authorities The bodies of three climbers suspected to have died more than two decades ago have been discovered on the Italian side of western Europe's highest peak Mont Blanc, local police have said. "The glacier is constantly shifting and we can say that the deaths occurred around 1995," said a spokesman for the Alpine rescue police service in Italy's northwestern Val d'Aoste region. Continue reading... |
| Charlottesville: United Nations warns US over 'alarming' racism Posted: 23 Aug 2017 05:00 AM PDT
A UN committee charged with tackling racism has issued an "early warning" over conditions in the US and urged the Trump administration to "unequivocally and unconditionally" reject discrimination. The warning specifically refers to events last week in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the civil rights activist Heather Heyer was killed when a car rammed into a group of people protesting against a white nationalist rally. Continue reading... |
| Viable suicide vest found in rubble of Spain attackers' bomb factory Posted: 23 Aug 2017 08:35 AM PDT Vest went unnoticed when blast was initially dismissed as gas explosion, raising questions about Catalan police response The terror cell that killed 15 people and injured more than 130 in north-east Spain last week had created a suicide vest packed with viable explosives and were in the process of making several more when a blast ripped through their bomb factory, police have said. A search of the rubble at the factory in a disused house in Alcanar in southern Catalonia resulted in the discovery of the vest, which had gone unnoticed on Thursday last week when the blast was initially dismissed as an accidental gas explosion. Continue reading... |
| Australian spy chief criticised for 'fist bump' gesture with Philippines leader Duterte Posted: 23 Aug 2017 09:06 PM PDT Asis head Nick Warner criticised for 'inappropriate' photo with president whose drug war has left an estimated 5,500 people dead The head of Australia's overseas intelligence agency has been criticised after being photographed posing with a clenched fist beside the controversial Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte. Related: Philippine police kill 32 in bloodiest night of Duterte's war on drugs Continue reading... |
| Dozens killed in airstrike on Yemeni hotel Posted: 23 Aug 2017 09:53 AM PDT Officials and witnesses say majority of those killed in strike by Saudi-led coalition on outskirts of Sana'a were Houthi rebels Dozens of people are feared killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition on a small hotel north of the Yemeni capital, the latest mass casualty event in a war that is now in its third year. News agencies quoted local officials and aid groups as saying at least 35 bodies had been pulled from the rubble of the hotel in Arhab, on the northern outskirts of Sana'a. It was unclear whether they were members of the Houthi rebel forces fighting against the Saudi-backed government, or civilians. Continue reading... |
| Cambodia threatens purge of critical media and US charity Posted: 23 Aug 2017 04:50 AM PDT As general election looms, prime minister Hun Sen tells English-language newspaper Cambodia Daily to pay $6m tax bill or leave Cambodia has threatened to close three foreign media outlets and a US charity, accusing them of operating illegally or owing millions in back taxes, in what appears to be a coordinated purge of government critics. The Cambodia Daily, one of three English-language daily newspapers in the country, was handed a $6.3m (£4.9m) tax bill and threatened with closure if it does not pay by 4 September. Continue reading... |
| Italian police use water cannon against refugees occupying Rome square Posted: 24 Aug 2017 02:21 AM PDT Police in riot gear clash with refugees near main train station after about 800 were evicted from office building on Saturday Police using water cannon and batons have clashed with refugees who had occupied a small Rome square in defiance of an order to leave a building where they had been squatting. Television images showed people screaming and trying to hit police, who were dressed in riot gear, with sticks. The square, one block from Rome's main train station, was strewn with mattresses, overturned rubbish bins and broken plastic chairs. Continue reading... |
| Indian court rules privacy a 'fundamental right' in battle over national ID cards Posted: 24 Aug 2017 02:01 AM PDT Landmark decision follows criticism that Aadhaar identity card reveals profile of a person's spending habits, friends and property India's top court has unanimously declared that privacy is a fundamental right, in a landmark judgment that could derail the world's largest biometric identity card scheme. Privacy advocates hailed the decision by the supreme court on Thursday, which they said could have far-reaching implications including for the decriminalisation of homosexuality and bans on the consumption of beef or alcohol. Continue reading... |
| 'The boss wants to talk to you': former UN rights expert on Kenya airport ordeal Posted: 24 Aug 2017 02:00 AM PDT Human rights activist Maina Kiai fears the Kenyatta regime is adopting a hardline approach to civil liberties after he was detained at Nairobi airport A former UN expert on the right to free assembly has warned of a crackdown on civil liberties in Kenya, after he was detained while trying to leave the country. Related: Kenya election: 'I'm tired of people asking about violence' Continue reading... |
| Samsung: leaked texts shed light on company's manipulation of press Posted: 24 Aug 2017 01:45 AM PDT SMS messages revealed in corruption trial show South Korean journalists requesting favours for positive coverage, as watchdogs decry company's power South Korea's so-called "trial of the century" has seen Samsung's crown prince Lee Jae-yong, the company's vice-chairman, accused of bribing ousted president Park Geun-hye – but it has also shone new light on the depths of the electronics firm's media manipulation. The company is awaiting this Friday's verdict on several of Samsung's current and former top executives, for their alleged involvement in a political scandal that has rocked South Korea. Lee could face a 12-year jail term if convicted of bribing Park to push through a controversial merger in 2014. Continue reading... |
| Serbian villages turning into ghost towns – in pictures Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:30 PM PDT In the municipality of Knjaževac, mass depopulation is turning villages into ghost towns. The closure of state factories and the mechanisation of the country's economy has resulted in a mass exodus from the Balkan nation, with Knjaževac's population now almost what it was during the first world war Continue reading... |
| Coal in decline: an energy industry on life support Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:18 AM PDT Special report: The pace of coal plants shutting down in Australia could mean the country's fleet could be gone before 2040. The transformation is enormous – and seems inevitable • Support our independent journalism and critical reporting on energy and the environment by giving a one-off or monthly contribution For a glimpse into the future of coal power in Australia, go west. The country's last major investment in coal-fired electricity was in Western Australia in 2009, when Colin Barnett's state government announced a major refurbishment of the Muja AB station about 200km south of Perth, far from the gaze of the east coast political-media class. The plant was 43 years old and mothballed. Reviving it was meant to cost $150m, paid for by private investors who would reap the benefits for years to come. But costs and timeframes blew out. An old corroded boiler exploded. The joint venture financing the project collapsed; a wall followed suit. The bill ultimately pushed beyond $300m, much of it to be stumped up by taxpayers – and once completed, the plant was beset with operational problems. It ran only 20% of the time. Continue reading... |
| Where were you when Diana died? Share your memories Posted: 24 Aug 2017 02:25 AM PDT Whether you visited Kensington Palace, were involved in an official capacity, or have a particular memory of the time, we'd like to hear from you Thursday 31 August will mark 20 years since the death of Princess Diana. In a documentary commemorating the anniversary, Prince William said he was thankful for 'the privacy to mourn' and spoke of the Queen sheilding him and his brother from the public's reaction. Diana, 7 Days is due to be broadcast on Sunday and follows the reaction of friends and family from the time of her death until her funeral. Continue reading... |
| Britain sends £9m to Libya to fight terror threat and migrant crisis Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:34 AM PDT Boris Johnson announces aid package, which includes £4m to remove improvised explosive devices, during trip to Tripoli Boris Johnson has announced a £9m aid package for Libya to help deal with the problems of migrants risking their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean and a growing threat of terrorist groups from the war-stricken country. The foreign secretary announced the extra funding as he made his second trip to Tripoli in just four months, where he visited UK naval officers training the Libyan coastguard in search and rescue. Continue reading... |
| 'Mountain man' freed 32 years after kidnapping athlete to be son's bride Posted: 23 Aug 2017 09:54 PM PDT Don Nichols grabbed biathlete Kari Swenson in 1984 while she was out running, then fatally shot her friend Alan Goldstein when he came to rescue her Self-described "mountain man" Don Nichols has been released on parole after serving 32 years for kidnapping a world-class athlete out on a training run in 1984 and killing her would-be rescuer – an attack that drew widespread media coverage and became the subject of a made-for-TV movie. Nichols, 86, was sentenced to 85 years in prison for kidnapping biathlete Kari Swenson in the mountains near Big Sky and killing Alan Goldstein, a friend helping to search for Swenson when she failed to return home from her run. |
| The whole world must join the battle for Venezuela’s El Sistema | Marshall Marcus Posted: 23 Aug 2017 07:01 AM PDT President Maduro's cancellation of conductor Gustavo Dudamel's tour is a clear bid to weaponise the country's greatest export, its musical education programme In the music business, the occasional tour cancellation is almost a way of life. Lack of money, indisposed artists, terror attacks, ash clouds and much more can easily cause the best laid plans to crumble. But on Monday came something exceptional as the media reported that Venezuela's most celebrated orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela, had had its forthcoming US tour cancelled by the office of the president of Venezuela. Related: Gustavo Dudamel attacks Venezuelan president Maduro: 'Enough is enough' Continue reading... |
| Melbourne trio to stand trial over allegedly planning Christmas Day terrorist attack Posted: 24 Aug 2017 01:39 AM PDT Police allege the Islamic State-inspired young men were plotting to detonate improvised explosive devices in the centre of the city Three young men will stand trial for allegedly plotting to detonate Christmas Day bombs in one of Melbourne's busiest entertainment precincts in an Islamic State-inspired attack. The men have been charged with conspiring to plan a terrorist attack with improvised explosive devices across an area taking in Federation Square, St Paul's Cathedral, Flinders Street railway station and the Young & Jackson Hotel. Continue reading... |
| Net migration to UK drops to lowest level for three years Posted: 24 Aug 2017 01:57 AM PDT Official figures long-term international migration to Britain was 246,000 in year ending March 2017 The level of net migration to the UK has fallen to its lowest level in three years as significantly more EU citizens left the country, official statistics have shown. Net long-term international migration to the UK – the difference between immigration and emigration – was 246,000 in the year ending March 2017, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. This compares with 327,000 in the year to March 2016. Continue reading... |
| Cambodia calls US democracy 'bloody and brutal' as charity row escalates Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:15 PM PDT Phnom Penh accuses Washington of interference after lobby group is expelled, and blames it for aiding the rise of the Khmer Rouge Cambodia has hit back at criticism over its decision to expel a US-funded pro-democracy group, accusing Washington of political interference and describing American democracy as "bloody and brutal". Prime minister Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, has taken a strident anti-American line in the increasingly tense run up to a 2018 election. Continue reading... |
| BBC correspondent Jonathan Head has criminal defamation suit dropped in Thailand Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:03 PM PDT Lawyer drops charges agains Head, the broadcaster's south-east Asia reporter, but another Briton still faces prosecution A Thai lawyer has dropped his criminal defamation suit against a BBC correspondent who investigated foreigners being scammed of their retirement homes in the country, the broadcaster has said. Jonathan Head, the BBC's south-east Asia correspondent, faced up to five years in jail after his report exposed how two foreign retirees had Phuket properties stolen from them by a network of criminals and corrupt officials. Continue reading... |
| Thursday briefing: 'Freaked out yet?' Fears of Trump nuclear tantrum Posted: 23 Aug 2017 10:32 PM PDT 'Pretty damn scary' that he carries around missile codes … today's new-look GCSEs bound to be confusing … and was 'killer cyclist' prosecuted too harshly? Hello – it's Warren Murray keeping you in the loop this morning. Continue reading... |
| India warned plan to deport Rohingya refugees will only inflame persecution Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:00 PM PDT Move to expel illegal immigrants will exacerbate religious tensions and prove 'legally, procedurally and practically impossible' to enforce, claim activists A plan by the Indian government to deport tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees will increase harassment of the persecuted Muslim minority while proving impossible to implement, activists have warned. Earlier this month, India's ministry of home affairs sent a letter to each of the country's state governments asking them to identify and deport all illegal immigrants, including Rohingya refugees. Continue reading... |
| Qatar passes law to protect employment rights of domestic workers Posted: 23 Aug 2017 06:32 AM PDT Domestic employment law will limit working day to a maximum of 10 hours and ensure monthly payment of wages Qatar has approved a law limiting domestic staff to a maximum of 10 hours' work a day, the first such protection for thousands of household maids, nannies and cooks in the emirate. The domestic employment law also orders employers to pay staff wages at the end of each month and entitles workers to at least one day off a week and annual leave of three weeks, the Qatar News Agency reported. Continue reading... |
| 'Why are you having sex?': women bear brunt of Uganda's high HIV rate Posted: 23 Aug 2017 04:16 AM PDT National survey shows women and girls disproportionately affected, with 570 infections a week among those aged 15-24, despite decline in overall rate The prevalence of HIV in Uganda is more than 3% higher among women than men, according to research revealed by the government. While the overall rate of those aged between 15 and 49 living with the infection has declined in the past five years to 6% – from 7.3% – women remain disproportionately affected by the epidemic. Continue reading... |
| White House reveals new look … and Trump chose the wallpaper – in pictures Posted: 23 Aug 2017 03:25 PM PDT It's a fresh new look for the White House, after a two-week renovation that reportedly cost more than $3m. The Oval Office, the Roosevelt Room and other parts of the West Wing have been given a facelift – and the heating and AC systems have also been updated. Let's hope the president, who was on vacation in New Jersey while the work was done, approves of the changes Continue reading... |
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