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- Jacob Zuma defies order from South Africa's ANC to resign
- Greece rocked by claims drug giant bribed former leaders
- SPD set for new leader as main German parties look to promote youth
- Arms shipment to Bosnian Serbs stokes EU fears
- Unicef admits failings with child victims of alleged sex abuse by peacekeepers
- Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte orders soldiers to shoot female rebels 'in the vagina'
- Vatican agreement with China could 'deal blow' to Catholic church
- Cyclone Gita: Tonga devastated by worst storm in 60 years
- Harvey Weinstein lawsuit: attorney general says 'we have never seen anything as despicable'
- Brexit: Varadkar and May to work on plan for frictionless Irish border
- Georgia's former president deported from Ukraine to Poland
- Queensland police accused of spear-tackling Indigenous man before death in custody
- Trump's Nasa budget: flying 'Jetson cars' and a return to the moon
- Police officer fired for not shooting black suspect wins $175,000
- Not the end of The World: the return of Dubai's ultimate folly
- Tracing the tangled tracks of humankind's evolutionary journey
- Man in his 40s shot dead in north London
- Brexit weekly briefing: new demands threaten transition, says Barnier
- Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi's trial begins behind closed doors
- Graffiti artists awarded $6.7m in lawsuit after renowned work torn down
- Canada: indigenous groups urge reform after shock of white farmer's acquittal
- Confidante of deposed South Korea leader jailed for 20 years
- Barnaby Joyce controversy needs swift resolution, Warren Truss says
- Oxfam scandal must force aid sector to finally address its own power
- #MeToo strikes aid sector as sexual exploitation allegations proliferate
- Foreign aid 'less effective than expected' at curbing migration, study says
- Israel and Iran consider next move after Syrian clash crosses red line
- The good news is … people like to read good news | Mark Rice-Oxley
- Presidential portraits: from Washington to Obama – in pictures
- Meet North Korea's Winter Olympics cheerleading squad – video
- Spirit of samba: the best of Rio and Sao Paulo carnivals in pictures
- Frozen out: the US interpreters abandoned on Europe’s border
| Jacob Zuma defies order from South Africa's ANC to resign Posted: 12 Feb 2018 11:28 PM PST President given 48-hour ultimatum by ruling party to stand down or face being stripped of his office Jacob Zuma has defied an ultimatum from South Africa's ruling party to resign within 48 hours, pitching the "Rainbow Nation" into an unprecedented political crisis. The decision to tell Zuma to stand down or face being stripped of his office was taken at a specially convened emergency session of the highest decision-making body of the African National Congress near Pretoria, the administrative capital, late on Monday evening. Continue reading... |
| Greece rocked by claims drug giant bribed former leaders Posted: 12 Feb 2018 10:21 AM PST Report alleges Swiss drugmaker Novartis bribed senior politicians and thousands of doctors The Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has called for parliament to investigate whether two of his predecessors and eight former ministers accepted bribes from the Swiss drugmaker Novartis, after allegations of industrial-scale bribery involving senior politicians. The former PMs Antonis Samaras and Panagiotis Pikrammenos, the governor of the Bank of Greece and the EU's migration commissioner were all identified as alleged beneficiaries of bribes in a report compiled by anti-corruption prosecutors with the help of US authorities. Continue reading... |
| SPD set for new leader as main German parties look to promote youth Posted: 12 Feb 2018 09:35 AM PST Andrea Nahles, 47, expected to lead centre-left party in coalition with Angela Merkel's CDU Germany's two largest parties are trying to improve the survival chances of the country's next government by injecting their frontbenches with fresh blood before they formally enter a new "grand coalition". Outgoing Social Democrat leader Martin Schulz, who last Friday surprised many by abandoning his ambition to become foreign minister, is set to hand over the party leadership on Tuesday to 47-year-old Andrea Nahles – the second-youngest person and first-ever female head in the 155-year history of the German centre-left. |
| Arms shipment to Bosnian Serbs stokes EU fears Posted: 12 Feb 2018 10:45 PM PST Purchase of 2,500 automatic rifles raises concerns about Russia's influence in region The purchase of thousands of new guns by the Bosnian Serb police has raised concerns over the intentions of the separatist-led regional government and deepening Russian influence in a divided and economically depressed nation. A shipment of 2,500 automatic rifles from Serbia is due to arrive in the Serb-run half of Bosnia in March, weeks before the scheduled opening of a new training centre where Russian advisers are expected to play a role. Continue reading... |
| Unicef admits failings with child victims of alleged sex abuse by peacekeepers Posted: 12 Feb 2018 10:00 PM PST Investigation found the children were homeless and out of school in Central African Republic despite UN assurances it would protect them The UN's children's agency has admitted shortcomings in its humanitarian support to children who allege that they were raped and sexually abused by French peacekeepers in Central African Republic. A statement by Unicef Netherlands is the first public acknowledgement of the agency's recent failure to provide support to some of the victims of alleged abuse by peacekeepers in the African nation. It comes as the aid sector and the UN face increasing scrutiny for their failings in managing internal sexual misconduct by their own staff. Continue reading... |
| Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte orders soldiers to shoot female rebels 'in the vagina' Posted: 12 Feb 2018 06:49 PM PST President branded a misogynist and macho-fascist after saying mutilating women fighters would make them "useless" President Rodrigo Duterte has been branded a misogynist and "macho-fascist" after he ordered soldiers to shoot female communist rebels in the vagina. In a speech to over 200 former communist soldiers in Malacañang last week, the Philippines president gave a directive of what to do with female guerrilla fighters. Continue reading... |
| Vatican agreement with China could 'deal blow' to Catholic church Posted: 12 Feb 2018 09:00 PM PST Open letter opposes recognition of Chinese government-appointed bishops by the Vatican The Catholic church risks damaging its moral authority and plunging its followers into confusion if the Vatican presses ahead with an imminent deal with the Chinese government, a group of influential Catholics has warned. Fifteen lawyers, academics and human rights activists, most based in Hong Kong, have signed an open letter to bishops across the world expressing dismay at an agreement which would involve the Vatican recognising seven bishops appointed by China's Communist party. |
| Cyclone Gita: Tonga devastated by worst storm in 60 years Posted: 12 Feb 2018 02:16 PM PST Winds of more than 230km/h recorded as parliament building flattened and power lines brought down The islands of Tonga in the South Pacific have been devastated by Tropical Cyclone Gita with winds of 230km/h flattening parts of Parliament House and causing significant damage and injuries across the kingdom. Gita hit Tonga around 8pm on Monday night and peaked between 11pm and 2am, slamming on to the south coast of the main island of Tongatapu, bringing down electricity lines, smashing churches and levelling fruit trees and crops vital to the island's livelihood. Continue reading... |
| Harvey Weinstein lawsuit: attorney general says 'we have never seen anything as despicable' Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:22 PM PST After filing suit against Harvey and Bob Weinstein and their company, Eric Schneiderman describes 'flagrant' pattern of misconduct New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman said Monday that a pervasive pattern of sexual misconduct and corporate enabling at the Weinstein Company was some of the worst his office has investigated. Related: New York attorney general files suit against Harvey Weinstein and company Continue reading... |
| Brexit: Varadkar and May to work on plan for frictionless Irish border Posted: 12 Feb 2018 11:31 AM PST Leaders of Ireland and UK seek deal that does not need Northern Ireland to be in single market Theresa May and Leo Varadkar are to work together to come up with a new plan on how to achieve a frictionless Irish border after Brexit that does not involve the EU demanding Northern Ireland stays in the customs union and single market. But speaking to reporters after bilateral talks in Belfast, the taoiseach admitted that achieving this was the "tricky bit" in Brexit talks. Continue reading... |
| Georgia's former president deported from Ukraine to Poland Posted: 12 Feb 2018 10:13 AM PST Mikheil Saakashvili has been an outspoken critic of Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko Georgia's former president Mikheil Saakashvili has been deported from Ukraine to Poland after he was seized by armed border service officers in Kiev. Poland's border service confirmed that Saakashvili, who has emerged as a bitter critic of Ukraine's government, had arrived and that Warsaw had agreed to let him enter. Continue reading... |
| Queensland police accused of spear-tackling Indigenous man before death in custody Posted: 12 Feb 2018 02:45 PM PST Lawyer of Trevor King's family says officers were told the 39-year-old had a heart condition when they were called out because he was talking of suicide North Queensland police have been accused of spear-tackling and manhandling an Indigenous man just hours before his death in custody. The lawyer of Trevor King's family said officers were told the 39-year-old had a heart condition and had probably taken drugs before "trouncing" him after he left his Townsville home. Continue reading... |
| Trump's Nasa budget: flying 'Jetson cars' and a return to the moon Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:12 PM PST Most of those goals, if realized, would come after the end of the Trump administration, which has allocated little of its budget for Nasa The Trump administration unveiled its 2019 budget for Nasa on Monday, promising an outpost on the moon, "Jetson cars" and new attempts to cut funding for the international space station, earth science and astrophysics. Robert Lightfoot, Nasa's acting administrator, said on Monday that Nasa will move forward with plans to create a new space station around the moon, a base long called the Deep Space Gateway, but renamed the Lunar Orbit Platform-Gateway. Continue reading... |
| Police officer fired for not shooting black suspect wins $175,000 Posted: 12 Feb 2018 10:33 AM PST Stephen Mader, a former officer in West Virginia, sued after he was fired for not shooting a black suspect during a standoff in 2016 A former police officer who alleged he was fired for not shooting a black suspect during a standoff has settled a wrongful termination suit with his former department for $175,000. "At the end of the day, I'm happy to put this chapter of my life to bed," said Stephen Mader, a former officer in Weirton, West Virginia, who was also granted a pledge that his former employer would not prevent him from obtaining a new job in law enforcement elsewhere. Continue reading... |
| Not the end of The World: the return of Dubai's ultimate folly Posted: 12 Feb 2018 10:00 PM PST Underwater bedrooms, 'Lohan Island' and snow all year round – a decade after it was scuppered by the financial crash, the fantasy archipelago of 300 artificial 'countries' is back in business. Has anybody learned anything? I had the whole of Palestine to myself that day. It was only a short swim from Lebanon but, as I waded ashore out of the shallow, soupy water, it became clear that I was the only visitor the island had seen for some time. Clambering to the top of the hill, over a lunar landscape populated by the occasional piece of driftwood and the odd discarded beer bottle, I could see the sandy mounds of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia beyond, rising out of the sea like bobbing croutons. The gleaming spire of the Burj Khalifa twinkled through the haze on the distant horizon. A decade since it was dredged from the seabed, The World is a forlorn sight. It was the most ambitious plan of Dubai's pre-crash bubble, topping the creation of peninsulas shaped like palm trees and the construction of the tallest building on the planet, dreamed up as the ultimate trophy project to trump them all. In pursuit of the world's attention, the oil-rich emirate would remake the world itself. "The Palm puts Dubai on the map," proclaimed the marketing material at the time. "The World puts the map on Dubai." Continue reading... |
| Tracing the tangled tracks of humankind's evolutionary journey Posted: 11 Feb 2018 09:51 PM PST The path from ape to modern human is not a linear one. Hannah Devlin looks at what we know – and what might be next for our species Let's go back to the beginning. When did we and our ape cousins part ways? Genetics has proved one of the most powerful tools for time-stamping the split with our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. When our complete genomes were compared in 2005, the two species were found to share 98% of their DNA. The differences hold important clues to how long our lineages have been diverging. By estimating the rate at which new genetic mutations are acquired over generations, scientists can use the genetic differences as a "molecular clock" to give a rough idea of when the split occurred. Most calculations suggest it was between four to eight million years ago. Continue reading... |
| Man in his 40s shot dead in north London Posted: 13 Feb 2018 01:02 AM PST Victim pronounced dead at scene in residential area of Barnet just after midnight Detectives are investigating after a man in his 40s was shot dead at a row of shops in a residential part of north London. Armed police responded to a report of gunshots on Mount Parade in Barnet at 11.44pm on Monday and found the victim critically injured. Despite efforts to revive him by police and paramedics, the man was pronounced dead at the scene just after midnight. Continue reading... |
| Brexit weekly briefing: new demands threaten transition, says Barnier Posted: 12 Feb 2018 11:00 PM PST Both sides' negotiators fall out over 'unacceptable' UK positions, while cabinet remains divided Welcome to the Guardian's weekly Brexit briefing. If you would like to receive it as a weekly email, please sign up here. You can also catch up with our Brexit Means podcast right here. Also: producing the Guardian's independent, in-depth journalism takes time and money. We do it because we believe our perspective matters, and it may be your perspective too. If you value our Brexit coverage, please become a Guardian Supporter. Thank you. Continue reading... |
| Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi's trial begins behind closed doors Posted: 13 Feb 2018 02:11 AM PST Judge bans media from Israeli military court as trial of teenager filmed slapping and kicking soldiers starts A teenage Palestinian protester filmed slapping and kicking two soldiers outside her home has appeared before an Israeli military court to face various charges including assaulting security forces, incitement and throwing stones. Ahed Tamimi, who turned 17 in jail last month, arrived on Tuesday morning for the first day of what could be a months-long trial, in what has become a symbolic case in the battle for international public opinion. Continue reading... |
| Graffiti artists awarded $6.7m in lawsuit after renowned work torn down Posted: 12 Feb 2018 04:26 PM PST Twenty-one artists sued the owner of 5Pointz, a New York site that was an international graffiti mecca beginning in the 1990s A New York judge has awarded $6.7m to graffiti artists who sued after their work was destroyed on buildings torn down to make room for luxury apartments. The federal judge Frederic Block in Brooklyn noted Monday there was no remorse from the owner of the warehouse buildings. Continue reading... |
| Canada: indigenous groups urge reform after shock of white farmer's acquittal Posted: 12 Feb 2018 10:37 AM PST Family of Colten Boushie say jury's makeup led to Gerald Stanley walking free and underscored weakness in Canada's court system Indigenous activists have called for urgent changes to Canada's legal system after an all-white jury acquitted a white farmer of murdering a young Cree man in a case that has exposed deep racial divisions. Gerald Stanley, 56, was found not guilty of second-degree murder over the death of Colten Boushie, 22, from Red Pheasant First Nation in the province of Saskatchewan. Continue reading... |
| Confidante of deposed South Korea leader jailed for 20 years Posted: 13 Feb 2018 12:21 AM PST Choi Soon-sil, a friend of Park Geun-hye, found guilty of abuse of power, bribery and state meddling The former confidante of South Korea's ousted president Park Geun-hye has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in the scandal that brought down Park. Choi Soon-sil, who through her father, a religious figure, became close to Park, was vilified during the nationwide protests that shook Asia's fourth-largest economy and culminated in Park's impeachment last year. Continue reading... |
| Barnaby Joyce controversy needs swift resolution, Warren Truss says Posted: 13 Feb 2018 01:10 AM PST Reports emerge that delegation of Nationals will ask deputy prime minister to stand aside The former Nationals leader Warren Truss says the Barnaby Joyce furore needs to be resolved "constructively and quickly" as reports emerged that a delegation was being formed to urge the beleaguered deputy prime minister to stand aside for the good of the government. Truss told the ABC on Tuesday night a decision about whether Joyce continued to lead the Nationals was a matter for his parliamentary colleagues, but he noted the deputy prime minister had been "diminished" by rolling controversy over his private life, and speedy resolution was now required. Continue reading... |
| Oxfam scandal must force aid sector to finally address its own power Posted: 12 Feb 2018 11:00 PM PST If Oxfam responds by listening to its critics it could restore faith in a sector that was damaged long before the latest allegations Oh Oxfam. I love you. And I hate you. I love that you were a pioneer in international development, that you were an organisation built on solidarity, education, empowerment – convincing British people that they could genuinely help people in other parts of the world. I love your recent campaign on inequality, choosing to pay attention to one of the world's most pressing and invasive issues. But sometimes, I hate what you've become – a big corporate brand, competing for funds, dominating civil society voices and dictating the terms of engagement to others. I remember ringing you a few years ago when I was director of a small organisation to share our research on an issue we planned to campaign on, suggesting we collaborate. Your response? "We'll ring you if we need you." Continue reading... |
| #MeToo strikes aid sector as sexual exploitation allegations proliferate Posted: 12 Feb 2018 09:04 AM PST In the wake of the Oxfam scandal, the Guardian interviewed aid workers who all said that sexual exploitation is rife in the sector Senior figures in the humanitarian world have described the allegations of sexual exploitation that have embroiled Oxfam as the tip of the iceberg and the aid sector's #MeToo moment. In interviews with the Guardian, humanitarian officials with experience working across the globe have told largely similar stories of colleagues' use of sex workers, suspicions of the exploitation of vulnerable women for sex – including minors – and a unwillingness of their organisations to properly tackle the issue. Continue reading... |
| Foreign aid 'less effective than expected' at curbing migration, study says Posted: 12 Feb 2018 04:30 AM PST Research casts doubt on received wisdom that support for low-income countries stops people leaving to seek a better life Europe's policy of using overseas aid to persuade people to stay in their own countries has been challenged by research suggesting the strategy may instead encourage migration. A new paper by the development economist Michael Clemens and his colleague Hannah Postel for the Center for Global Development suggests that, far from discouraging migration from the poorest countries to the developed world, foreign aid programmes may actually accelerate it. Continue reading... |
| Israel and Iran consider next move after Syrian clash crosses red line Posted: 12 Feb 2018 08:44 AM PST Neither wants a fully fledged war despite the language, but further confrontations are expected Arch-enemies Iran and Israel crossed a line this weekend that both have been warning about for years: a direct confrontation between their militaries. In just a few hours, a potentially devastating precedent was set between two of the region's most bellicose states when Israel downed a drone in its airspace that it claimed was Iranian. After responding by bombing what Israel said was an Iranian target deep in Syria, one Israeli F-16 fighter jet crashed amid a barrage of Syrian anti-aircraft missiles. Having lost its first jet in decades, Israel again hit what it said were Iranian targets, this time near Damascus. Continue reading... |
| The good news is … people like to read good news | Mark Rice-Oxley Posted: 12 Feb 2018 06:26 AM PST People are tired of bad news, but report on something going right and they tend to take notice A strange thing happens when you write about something going right. People take notice. They read to the end. They share it with their friends. They create rare pools of wellbeing on social media. They write to thank you. Eighteen months ago, the Guardian launched a pilot project to see how readers would respond if we deliberately sought out the good things happening in the world. Continue reading... |
| Presidential portraits: from Washington to Obama – in pictures Posted: 12 Feb 2018 03:24 PM PST Barack and Michelle Obama unveiled their official portraits at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington on Monday. Painted by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald respectively, they are the first official presidential portraits by African American artists Continue reading... |
| Meet North Korea's Winter Olympics cheerleading squad – video Posted: 12 Feb 2018 07:02 AM PST North Korea's cheerleaders are making waves at the Winter Olympics. The group caught the world's attention during their energetic performance at the joint Korea women's ice hockey match against Switzerland despite their team's 8-0 defeat |
| Spirit of samba: the best of Rio and Sao Paulo carnivals in pictures Posted: 12 Feb 2018 03:29 AM PST The Sambadromes come alive as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo as the carnival gets under way Continue reading... |
| Frozen out: the US interpreters abandoned on Europe’s border Posted: 12 Feb 2018 02:57 AM PST Ahmad and Mati served the US military as interpreters during the war in Afghanistan, but like many others who did so they haven't been granted visas to emigrate to the US. With their lives threatened by the Taliban, they joined migrants heading for western Europe only to find themselves trapped in Serbia on the wrong side of impenetrable borders. They live in a squalid warehouse in Belgrade. With smugglers refusing to take them past dangerous border crossings, all they can do is wait Continue reading... |
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