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- Poland risks losing EU voting rights in dispute over reforms to judiciary
- French race row erupts as feminist forced off advisory body
- Senate approves most drastic changes to US tax code in 30 years
- 'Like a toilet brush': anger in Rome over city's lacklustre Christmas tree
- Cyril Ramaphosa vows to unite ANC after rise to leadership
- Germany admits failings one year after Berlin Christmas market attack
- Facebook action hints at western retaliation over WannaCry attack
- Daphne Caruana Galizia murder: 'phone signal sent from sea set off bomb'
- 'A shocking and wanton act': Israel accused over death of wheelchair user
- Somalis were shackled for nearly 48 hours on failed US deportation flight
- Nigerian politician Dino Melaye causes stir with cameo in rap video
- Facebook use of third-party apps 'violates data protection principles'
- Communist-era police officer named head of Czech police watchdog
- Travel guides to segregated US for black Americans reissued
- ‘The bayou's alive’: ignoring it could kill Houston
- Quiz: can you identify these cities from their historic maps?
- Bear bile and snakeskin boots: illegal goods seized at Heathrow – in pictures
- Uber to face stricter EU regulation after ECJ rules it is transport firm
- US will 'take names of those who vote to reject Jerusalem recognition'
- Call it a world of dread and fear, Geldof? Try eating catfish in a Lagos bush bar | Elnathan John
- Jagmeet Singh: Canada's pioneering party leader on building unity amid division
- South Korea president suggests joint drills with US could be suspended
- Man wins legal battle after arguing voting in 2016 election 'morally corrupt'
- Cardinal Bernard Law, central figure in Boston sexual abuse scandal, dies at 86
- 'Everything was clouded by Trump in 2017': a challenging year for poor nations – podcast
- Ecuador's 'Troublemaker' volcano sends lava flying in fiery explosion – video
- US House approves Republican tax legislation – video
- Saudis intercept Houthi missile fired towards Riyadh - video
- Disney's Hall of Presidents unveils eerily lifelike Donald Trump – video
- 'There was a lot of metal, a lot of screeching,' says Amtrak crash survivor – video
| Poland risks losing EU voting rights in dispute over reforms to judiciary Posted: 19 Dec 2017 06:54 AM PST Row over government's decision to approve legislation giving executive greater control of supreme court and appointing of judges The EU is widely expected to trigger a process that could ultimately see Poland stripped of its voting rights in Brussels, with patience wearing thin over reforms that are said to be a threat to the independence of the country's judiciary. If a first step in the shape of a formal warning is taken against Poland's rightwing government on Wednesday, it will be an unprecedented act against a member state and exacerbate a growing sense of crisis over the country's membership of the bloc. Continue reading... |
| French race row erupts as feminist forced off advisory body Posted: 19 Dec 2017 09:00 PM PST French government bowed to complaints about Rokhaya Diallo's presence on council after she was appointed only last week A bitter row over the difficulties of debating racism in France has erupted after a high-profile feminist and anti-racism campaigner was forced off a government advisory body, prompting the resignation of the director and scores of members. Journalist Rokhaya Diallo has repeatedly spoken out against what she calls institutional racism in France, notably police stop and search practices against non-white young men. |
| Senate approves most drastic changes to US tax code in 30 years Posted: 19 Dec 2017 10:03 PM PST Bill passes by 51-48 and puts Donald Trump on the brink of scoring his first major legislative victory Senate Republicans have passed a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code, placing Donald Trump on the brink of scoring his first major legislative victory. Related: Trump tax plan: what's in the final bill? Continue reading... |
| 'Like a toilet brush': anger in Rome over city's lacklustre Christmas tree Posted: 19 Dec 2017 04:33 PM PST Tree has been dubbed 'spelacchio', meaning bald or mangy, after it lost most of its pine needles Romans are up in arms over the city's Christmas tree that has been dubbed "Spelacchio", which roughly translated means mangy or baldy. The tree, which died and lost its needles two weeks after being erected in the capital's Piazza Venezia, has become a symbol of what many see as the eternal city's eternal decay. Continue reading... |
| Cyril Ramaphosa vows to unite ANC after rise to leadership Posted: 19 Dec 2017 09:13 AM PST Victory was marred by allies' failure to win other key roles, but supporters say new leader has what it takes to succeed Cyril Ramaphosa has sought to shore up his shaky mandate as the new president of the African National Congress (ANC), saying the party will emerge "united, renewed and confident" from the fractious conference that elected him leader. "The doomsayers said this conference was going to collapse … and we've proven for the millionth time in 105 years of existence that the ANC is able to rise even above its own strengths," he said on Tuesday. Continue reading... |
| Germany admits failings one year after Berlin Christmas market attack Posted: 19 Dec 2017 07:58 AM PST Angela Merkel vows to improve support for families after government was accused of failing to support victims of terrorist attack Germany's leaders have admitted that the government failed to provide adequate support to relatives of the victims of last year's terrorist attack on a Berlin Christmas market, and acknowledged security gaps in the run-up to the atrocity. A year after Anis Amri, a Tunisian whose asylum application had been turned down months before, rammed a truck into the crowded market at the Breitscheidplatz, killing 12 people and wounding 70, the authorities have been criticised for security failings and their clumsy handling of the aftermath of the assault. Continue reading... |
| Facebook action hints at western retaliation over WannaCry attack Posted: 19 Dec 2017 11:14 AM PST Site deletes accounts linked to Lazarus Group, hackers associated with North Korea that UK and US blame for ransomware The US and UK may be engaged in cyber-offensives against North Korea in retaliation for attacks such as WannaCry, which caused widespread disruption to public services, companies and homes around the world in May. Neither the UK nor the US government will confirm whether they have already mounted revenge cyber-attacks against North Korea. However, a hint that action was already being taken was offered on Tuesday when Facebook said it had recently deleted accounts linked to the Lazarus Group, a hacking entity associated with North Korea that both the US and UK blame for the WannaCry attacks. Continue reading... |
| Daphne Caruana Galizia murder: 'phone signal sent from sea set off bomb' Posted: 19 Dec 2017 11:08 AM PST Bomb was 'organic explosive' detonated via mobile phone message, police inspector tells pre-trial hearing for three suspects over killing of journalist A court in Malta has heard that the powerful car bomb used to kill the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was detonated by a mobile phone signal sent from a boat off the island's coast as part of a carefully planned operation lasting several months. Police inspector Keith Arnaud told a pre-trial hearing that evidence against the three suspects, brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio and Vince Muscat, all well-known to the police, centred mainly on telephone intercepts. Continue reading... |
| 'A shocking and wanton act': Israel accused over death of wheelchair user Posted: 19 Dec 2017 11:27 AM PST UN official says there is no evidence man posed a threat when he was shot in the head by security forces at protest A senior UN official has said Israel's killing of a Palestinian wheelchair user protesting against Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was "incomprehensible", as Israel said the man had not been targeted. A statement issued by Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh was shot in the head by Israeli security forces close to the Gaza border fence on Friday. Continue reading... |
| Somalis were shackled for nearly 48 hours on failed US deportation flight Posted: 19 Dec 2017 11:18 AM PST
More than 90 Somali men and women were held shackled on an airplane for nearly 48 hours – and some were forced to urinate where they sat – during a failed attempt to deport them from the US, according to a lawsuit filed late on Monday. Seven passengers representing the 92 people onboard alleged they suffered "inhumane conditions and egregious abuse" on the 7 December flight, which was due to land in Mogadishu, Somalia, but only reached Dakar, Senegal, where it was held for 23 hours before returning to the US. Continue reading... |
| Nigerian politician Dino Melaye causes stir with cameo in rap video Posted: 19 Dec 2017 09:43 AM PST Audiences left unsure whether senator is celebrating his wealth or being ironic with appearance in song by afro trap star Kach Some politicians send Christmas cards of themselves posing as bacon sandwich-eating bikers. Some tell self-effacing jokes about their bald spots. But a Nigerian senator may have taken political self-deprecation to new heights after appearing in a music video featuring fast cars, dollar bills and his own name on repeat – either celebrating his ostentatious wealth or in a deeply ironic parody. Continue reading... |
| Facebook use of third-party apps 'violates data protection principles' Posted: 19 Dec 2017 10:00 AM PST German watchdog accuses site of merging data from WhatsApp and Instagram into users' Facebook accounts without consent Germany's competition authority has accused Facebook of abusing its dominant market position to improperly amass third-party data on its users. A statement released on Tuesday criticised the world's largest social media site for collecting data via Facebook-owned services, such as WhatsApp or Instagram, and then absorbing it into users' Facebook accounts. Continue reading... |
| Communist-era police officer named head of Czech police watchdog Posted: 19 Dec 2017 09:46 AM PST Appointment of Zdenĕk Ondrácĕk, whose unit in 1989 used dogs to crush peaceful anti-regime protests, gets mixed response Lawmakers in the Czech Republic have entrusted oversight of the police force to a former member of a communist-era special unit that tried to crush the peaceful 1989 uprising that helped bring down communist rule. The unprecedented appointment of Zdenĕk Ondrácĕk as chair of parliament's general inspection of security forces commission appeared to be part of complex manoeuvring by billionaire businessman Andrej Babiš and his ANO party to get backing for a minority government. Continue reading... |
| Travel guides to segregated US for black Americans reissued Posted: 19 Dec 2017 03:53 AM PST The Green Books – now reprinted in facsimile – were a popular workaround for travellers excluded from many hotels and restaurants by colour bars A series of travel books written for African Americans travelling in the segregated US of the last century, which listed the places in which they were allowed to stay, shop and eat, is being republished in facsimile editions. Recent sales have topped 10,000 copies. Harlem postal worker Victor Hugo Green published the first guide, The Negro Motorist Green Book, in 1936. It listed the hotels, shops and restaurants that accepted custom from black people: "Carry your Green Book with you … you may need it." Further editions would follow through the 1940s, 50s and 60s, until civil rights laws brought an end to legal segregation. Continue reading... |
| ‘The bayou's alive’: ignoring it could kill Houston Posted: 19 Dec 2017 11:00 PM PST America's fourth largest city is built on an ancient river network that flooded catastrophically after Hurricane Harvey. With 400,000 homes in the watershed, achieving resilience is the Texan boom town's greatest challenge Buffalo bayou's waters flow east for more than 50 miles from fast-vanishing western prairieland, through Houston's centre and out to its heavily industrial ship channel. Long before the city's tangle of freeways were built, the bayou's existence helped draw settlers in the 19th century. But after thousands of homes flooded this August as Hurricane Harvey ravaged the city, proximity to water is increasingly seen as a liability. Continue reading... |
| Quiz: can you identify these cities from their historic maps? Posted: 19 Dec 2017 03:13 AM PST Cities evolve, but the old core stays same. Or does it? We've trawled the archives for a selection of historic maps. Can you ID the cities? Berlin Prague York Rome Tokyo Mexico City Barcelona Genoa Trieste Sydney Vancouver Dubrovnik Paris Florence London Moscow Kolkata Zaragoza Rome Toledo Verona Seoul Hiroshima Tokyo Lima Lucca Valletta Vienna Minsk Edinburgh 10 and above. Excellent 9 and above. Well done 8 and above. Well done 7 and above. Pretty good 6 and above. Pretty good 5 and above. Room for improvement 4 and above. Room for improvement 3 and above. Poor 2 and above. Poor 1 and above. Hmmm 0 and above. Hmmm Continue reading... |
| Bear bile and snakeskin boots: illegal goods seized at Heathrow – in pictures Posted: 20 Dec 2017 01:52 AM PST The UK Border Force at Heathrow Airport seizes illegal goods including taxidermy of endangered species, ivory carvings and herbal medicines. The force is a world leader in identifying and preventing the illegal trade in endangered animals and plant material |
| Uber to face stricter EU regulation after ECJ rules it is transport firm Posted: 20 Dec 2017 01:00 AM PST Company loses challenge by Barcelona taxi drivers' group, which argued Uber was directly involved in carrying passengers Uber is a transport services company, the European court of justice (ECJ) has ruled, requiring it to accept stricter regulation and licensing within the EU as a taxi operator. The decision in Luxembourg, after a challenge brought by taxi drivers in Barcelona, will apply across the whole of the EU, including the UK. Continue reading... |
| US will 'take names of those who vote to reject Jerusalem recognition' Posted: 20 Dec 2017 12:15 AM PST UN members warned Donald Trump will take issue personally if countries back draft resolution rejecting US decision The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has warned UN members she will be "taking names" of countries that vote to reject Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In a letter seen by the Guardian, Haley told countries – including European delegations – that she will report back to the US president with the names of those who support a draft resolution rejecting the US move at the UN general assembly on Thursday, adding that Trump took the issue personally. Continue reading... |
| Call it a world of dread and fear, Geldof? Try eating catfish in a Lagos bush bar | Elnathan John Posted: 19 Dec 2017 11:00 PM PST Nigerian satirist Elnathan John responds to Do They Know It's Christmas? – the Band Aid song that, by portraying an entire continent as living in dire, snow-free conditions, perhaps did as much to entrench myths as it did to raise money It's Christmas. How do I know? For many months I have been living in Berlin, capital of a Christian country governed – at least for now – by a politician from the Christian Democratic Union. I did not realise how much of a privilege this was, and how heightened my Christmas senses were because of living in Germany, until I listened to Bob Geldof's song Do They Know It's Christmas? First off, let me praise the writers of this song for updating it in 2014, to reflect the realities of our time, like Ebola, and for finally recognising such a thing as west Africa. Comparing both versions, my respect for Bob grew immensely. I will not comment on the old version, the same way I think you should not comment on a person's previously dirty body after they have taken a bath and groomed themselves. |
| Jagmeet Singh: Canada's pioneering party leader on building unity amid division Posted: 20 Dec 2017 02:00 AM PST The first person of colour to lead a major Canadian political party describes where he and Justin Trudeau differ: 'You can't compromise' Jagmeet Singh hovered between tables, switching seamlessly between languages as he obliged photo requests. For a young mother from Ethiopia, the Canadian politician had a greeting in Amharic. To her friend from Eritrea, he offered a few lines of Tigrinya, plucked from a linguistic arsenal that Singh estimates includes a word or phrases from about 45 tongues. It's a handy skill for a politician based in Toronto, one of the world's most multicultural cities. But for the 38-year-old – who recently became the first person of colour to lead a major political party in Canada – it's also a nod to how he's seeking to define himself in a global climate marked by Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump. Continue reading... |
| South Korea president suggests joint drills with US could be suspended Posted: 19 Dec 2017 08:54 PM PST Moon Jae-in says if Pyongyang behaves itself, North Korean athletes could also be invited to take part in Winter Olympics The South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, has suggested his country's joint military drills with the US could be postponed to reduce tensions with North Korea, but said the move would depend on Pyongyang's actions in the coming weeks. Moon also said he would like North Korean athletes to participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics in the South Korean town of Pyeongchang, amid concern that the regime could try to disrupt the Games, possibly by testing ballistic missiles or launching a cyber attack. Continue reading... |
| Man wins legal battle after arguing voting in 2016 election 'morally corrupt' Posted: 20 Dec 2017 12:08 AM PST Adam Easton relied on a section of the Commonwealth Electoral Act that states a person can have a valid reason not to vote A man has won a legal battle in a New South Wales court after being prosecuted for failing to vote in the 2016 federal election, saying voting would have left him feeling "morally corrupt". Adam Easton admitted he didn't vote in the July 2016 election but pleaded not guilty to failing to vote. Continue reading... |
| Cardinal Bernard Law, central figure in Boston sexual abuse scandal, dies at 86 Posted: 20 Dec 2017 12:44 AM PST Vatican says disgraced former archbishop has died in Rome Cardinal Bernard Law, the US former archbishop who became a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church's systematic protection of paedophile priests because of his failure to stop abuse in Boston, has died. He was 86. The Vatican announced in a statement that Law had died early on Wednesday morning after being ill and treated in hospital. Continue reading... |
| 'Everything was clouded by Trump in 2017': a challenging year for poor nations – podcast Posted: 19 Dec 2017 05:10 AM PST Lucy Lamble looks back over 12 months of critical changes for developing countries, dominated by the devastating effects of the 'global gag rule' One of the biggest events affecting the world's poorest people this year was President Trump's reinstatement of the global gag rule, which is set to wipe $8.8bn (£6.6bn) off funding for healthcare around the world. There were also elections in Africa and changes that saw long-standing rulers shown the door; humanitarian crises in Myanmar, South Sudan and other countries, where millions fled their homes; and hurricanes that devastated Caribbean islands. Lucy Lamble is joined to discuss these and other events by Jason Burke, the Guardian's Africa correspondent, and Liz Ford, deputy editor for Global development. Continue reading... |
| Ecuador's 'Troublemaker' volcano sends lava flying in fiery explosion – video Posted: 19 Dec 2017 05:26 PM PST British volcano photographer Dr Richard Roscoe documented the spectacular eruption of a little-known active stratovolcano in the Amazonian Andes of Ecuador known as 'Reventador' in early December. Reventador is Spanish for 'troublemaker'. Roscoe and a German colleague captured the rumblings and fiery explosions with wide-angle videos using moonlight alone by applying a unique filming technique at a specific rate and sped up the video to show the activity over the course of a three-day period. Continue reading... |
| US House approves Republican tax legislation – video Posted: 19 Dec 2017 02:08 PM PST House Republicans have approved the most sweeping rewrite of the US tax code in a generation, sending the measure to the Senate. The House passed the bill 227 to 203, with 12 Republicans voting against the plan and no Democrats supporting it. Final passage for the measure will mark the first major legislative success for Trump since taking office Continue reading... |
| Saudis intercept Houthi missile fired towards Riyadh - video Posted: 19 Dec 2017 11:09 AM PST Saudi air defences shoot down a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthi group towards Riyadh, in an attack that could escalate a proxy war between the kingdom and Iran. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it aimed the missile at the Saudi royal court at al-Yamama Palace, where a meeting of Saudi leaders was under way on Tuesday. It described the attack as a new chapter in the conflict. There have been no reports of casualties or damage
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| Disney's Hall of Presidents unveils eerily lifelike Donald Trump – video Posted: 19 Dec 2017 07:37 AM PST An animatronic figure of Donald Trump motions with his arms and gives a brief speech at the long-running Walt Disney World attraction. A Disney spokeswoman said Trump had recorded his Hall of Presidents script earlier this year. The Hall of Presidents debuted at the Magic Kingdom in 1971 and gets an update with each change in leadership • Animatronic figure of Donald Trump joins Disney's Hall of Presidents |
| 'There was a lot of metal, a lot of screeching,' says Amtrak crash survivor – video Posted: 19 Dec 2017 04:01 AM PST Survivors recount their experiences after an Amtrak train travelling for the first time on a new high-speed route derailed in Washington state on Monday. At least three people were killed and more than 70 have been taken to hospital after a number of train cars flew off an overpass on to a busy highway. The train was going at 80mph in a 30mph zone, a federal safety official said Continue reading... |
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