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- South Africa: police raid home of controversial Zuma allies
- Benjamin Netanyahu: Israeli police recommend indicting prime minister
- Iranian intellectuals call for referendum amid political unrest
- Kenya's 'Erin Brockovich' defies harassment to bring anti-pollution case to courts
- 'You are our lucky star': Chinese media in overdrive on Xi Jinping's New Year tour
- Escaped prisoner who swapped places with twin is recaptured in Peru
- Thailand’s Maya Bay, location for The Beach, to close to tourists
- Professor cancels hate speech course after students object to use of racial slur
- Bill and Melinda Gates urge Trump to respect people and to not cut foreign aid
- Minnie Driver cuts ties with Oxfam over sex scandal
- Former employee sues Vice, accusing it of pay discrimination against women
- Scores of Russian mercenaries reportedly killed by US airstrikes in Syria
- Chelsea bomber: man behind New York attack gets multiple life sentences
- Google search results for abortion services promote anti-abortion centers
- What would a truly disabled-accessible city look like?
- Boston Dynamics crosses new threshold with door-opening dog
- Manchester residents oppose Gary Neville's redevelopment plans
- Boris Johnson to say reversing Brexit vote would be disastrous - Politics live
- Rex Tillerson reaping whirlwind of Trump's disruptive Middle East policies
- Is the Illuminati running the world? Maybe it’s not such a mad idea | Julian Baggini
- Why Pyeongchang winners are receiving plush toys on platters
- Barnaby Joyce repels insurgency as Labor targets rental arrangement
- India threatens Pierce Brosnan with fine over pan masala adverts
- Many young African women with HIV unaware they are infected
- 'Oxfam allegations are tip of iceberg': sexual harassment and aid workers – podcast
- Sexualised atmosphere among aid workers in Haiti disturbed me | Phoebe Greenwood
- NGO crimes go far beyond Oxfam | Letters
- Oxfam's disgraced Haiti official left earlier post over 'sex parties'
- New Orleans Mardi Gras marks city’s 300th anniversary – in pictures
- Engine on United Airlines plane falls apart on flight to Hawaii – video
- FBI director releases details on former Trump aide Rob Porter – video
- 'We will shoot your vagina': Philippines president on communist rebels – video
| South Africa: police raid home of controversial Zuma allies Posted: 14 Feb 2018 12:55 AM PST Arrests made in raids linked to allegations of influence-peddling by Gupta family, as ANC's efforts to oust president continue An elite South African police team has raided the luxurious family home of a family of controversial businessmen accused of improper relations with Jacob Zuma, as the ruling ANC party continues its chaotic efforts to oust the country's president. The raid on the compound of the wealthy Gupta family in Johannesburg will be taken as an encouraging sign that Cyril Ramaphosa, the new leader of the African National Congress (ANC), will move swiftly against those associated with the corruption allegations and mismanagement that have characterised Zuma's nine years in power. |
| Benjamin Netanyahu: Israeli police recommend indicting prime minister Posted: 13 Feb 2018 12:42 PM PST Attorney general will examine evidence and decide whether to indict after police investigation of the prime minister in two cases Israeli police have recommended that Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted on charges of bribery and breach of trust, in an embarrassing blow that has thrown the prime minister's political future in doubt. Following a 14-month investigation into two cases of alleged corruption, the country's attorney general will examine the evidence and then – possibly in several months' time – decide whether to indict. |
| Iranian intellectuals call for referendum amid political unrest Posted: 13 Feb 2018 09:00 PM PST Letter with 15 signatories says Iran's leaders have failed to deliver on republican ideals A group of prominent Iranian intellectuals have said they have lost hope that the Islamic Republic can reform, and have called for a referendum to establish whether the ruling establishment is still backed by a majority. A day after Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, touted the idea of holding a referendum as a means to heal Iran's deepening political divisions, 15 figures – including some based in Iran – said leaders had failed to deliver on republican ideals. Continue reading... |
| Kenya's 'Erin Brockovich' defies harassment to bring anti-pollution case to courts Posted: 13 Feb 2018 10:00 PM PST Phyllis Omido is leading a landmark class action demanding a clean-up and compensation from a lead-smelting factory accused of poisoning local residents - including her own son Eight years after her baby was lead-poisoned through breast milk, Kenya's most prominent anti-pollution campaigner is set to finally get her day in court in a case that the UN hopes will prove a landmark for environmental defenders across Africa. Phyllis Omido has been threatened by thugs, arrested by police and forced into hiding for organising opposition to a lead-smelting factory in Mombasa, which allegedly poisoned residents in the neighbouring shantytown of Owino Uhuru. Continue reading... |
| 'You are our lucky star': Chinese media in overdrive on Xi Jinping's New Year tour Posted: 13 Feb 2018 08:33 PM PST China's president visits deprived corners of the country, attracting lavish praise from state media Xi Jinping has flown into one of rural China's most deprived corners to champion his war on extreme poverty before the country's week-long Lunar New Year holiday. Related: Britain trying to headline grab in South China Sea, says state media Continue reading... |
| Escaped prisoner who swapped places with twin is recaptured in Peru Posted: 13 Feb 2018 08:16 PM PST Alexander Delgado Herraro reportedly drugged his visiting twin brother to break out of jail more than a year ago A prisoner who mounted an extraordinary escape from Peruvian jail by swapping places with his visiting twin brother has been recaptured. Related: Mexican presidential candidate accuses government of spying on him Continue reading... |
| Thailand’s Maya Bay, location for The Beach, to close to tourists Posted: 13 Feb 2018 10:30 PM PST The bucket-list beach on the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh became famous when it featured in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, but environmental concerns mean it will close to tourists from June It is one of the world's most famous beaches, thanks to its starring role in Danny Boyle's film of Alex Garland's bestselling novel, and is often referred to simply as "the beach". However, this summer Maya Bay, on the Thai island of Koh Phi Phi Leh, will be closed to tourists as authorities attempt to reverse decades of damage done to the region's marine environment. The closure will take place from June to September, during the island's low season, in order to give its coral reef time to recover. While similar measures have been introduced on other Thai islands – in 2016 local authorities closed Koh Tachai – it is the first time tourists will be forbidden from visiting Maya Bay. Continue reading... |
| Professor cancels hate speech course after students object to use of racial slur Posted: 13 Feb 2018 04:56 PM PST Princeton University's Lawrence Rosen used slur while teaching anthropology students, prompting some to walk out of class A Princeton University professor has cancelled a course he teaches on cultural freedoms and hate speech after his use of a racial slur during a class discussion led some students to walk out. Colleagues say Professor Emeritus Lawrence Rosen has often used the slur during lectures on free speech. They say this is the first time he has received such a negative response from students. Continue reading... |
| Bill and Melinda Gates urge Trump to respect people and to not cut foreign aid Posted: 13 Feb 2018 02:32 PM PST Gates foundation letter urged the president to treat women and minorities with more respect and warned against cutting aid to the developing world
Donald Trump should treat people – especially women – with more respect, and continue investments in poorer countries for the sake of global security, the world's leading philanthropic couple Bill and Melinda Gates said on Tuesday. Continue reading... |
| Minnie Driver cuts ties with Oxfam over sex scandal Posted: 13 Feb 2018 02:51 PM PST Actor had been an ambassador for the charity and said she was devastated by revelations Minnie Driver has become the first celebrity patron of Oxfam to step down in the wake of the sexual misconduct scandal. The 48-year-old actor, who was one of the charity's 16 ambassadors, said she was "in no uncertain terms" withdrawing her support for the charity despite working with it for more than 20 years. Continue reading... |
| Former employee sues Vice, accusing it of pay discrimination against women Posted: 13 Feb 2018 03:55 PM PST An LA-based manager alleges female employees at the company were paid tens of thousands of dollars less than their male counterparts A former employee of Vice Media filed a lawsuit against the company on Tuesday, accusing it of systemic pay discrimination and citing several allegations of female employees being paid tens of thousands of dollars less than their male counterparts. In the suit, Elizabeth Rose, a former project manager in the Los Angeles office, alleges that while working at the company, she discovered men she worked with were making more than her female colleagues – much more. A male subordinate, whom she had hired, was making $25,000 more a year than she was. Later, when that coworker was promoted to be her supervisor, the suit says, a Vice executive told Rose that the coworker was a "good personality fit" for male clients. Continue reading... |
| Scores of Russian mercenaries reportedly killed by US airstrikes in Syria Posted: 13 Feb 2018 10:35 AM PST
Scores of Russian mercenaries were reportedly killed when US forces carried out air strikes against a pro-regime force in eastern Syria last week, according to US and Russian reports. If the high estimates of Russian casualties are confirmed, it would be the most lethal clash between US and Russian citizens since the end of the cold war, and it comes at a time when proxy forces in Syria are increasingly coming into contact, as they compete for territory vacated by retreating Islamic State militants. Continue reading... |
| Chelsea bomber: man behind New York attack gets multiple life sentences Posted: 13 Feb 2018 12:51 PM PST Prosecutors say Ahmad Khan Rahami has not shown remorse and tried to radicalize fellow prisoners while in jail A man who set off bombs in two states, including a pressure cooker device that blasted shrapnel across a New York City block and injured 30, was sentenced Tuesday to multiple terms of life in prison. Ahmad Khan Rahami, a naturalized US citizen who was born in Afghanistan and lived in New Jersey, injured 30 people when one of his homemade bombs exploded in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood on a September night in 2016. A second bomb planted nearby did not detonate. Continue reading... |
| Google search results for abortion services promote anti-abortion centers Posted: 13 Feb 2018 02:07 PM PST When users seek facilities for the procedure, Google Maps often presents 'crisis pregnancy centers' that discourage abortions Google searches for abortion services direct users to anti-abortion centers across the US, according to a new report that has sparked concerns from reproductive rights' groups. In response to the question "Where can I get an abortion near me?", Google Maps frequently suggests "crisis pregnancy centers", which are often non-medical facilities that provide counseling meant to discourage women from having abortions. |
| What would a truly disabled-accessible city look like? Posted: 13 Feb 2018 11:30 PM PST Most cities are utterly unfriendly to people with disabilities – but with almost one billion estimated to be urban-dwellers by 2050, a few cities are undergoing a remarkable shift To David Meere, a visually impaired man from Melbourne, among the various obstacles to life in cities is another that is less frequently discussed: fear. "The fear of not being able to navigate busy, cluttered and visually oriented environments is a major barrier to participation in normal life," says Meere, 52, "be that going to the shops, going for a walk in the park, going to work, looking for work, or simply socialising." Continue reading... |
| Boston Dynamics crosses new threshold with door-opening dog Posted: 13 Feb 2018 10:15 AM PST Robotics company releases video of the SpotMini, its four-legged and well-mannered machine Eight years after it was first revealed to the public, the uncanny gait of Boston Dynamics' quadrupedal robots is still unsettling. But a new video, released by the firm on Monday, shows the company's flagship robot, the SpotMini, crossing a new threshold – literally – as it demonstrates that it can open doors. The video depicts a SpotMini, a four-legged yellow machine that stands about a metre high, flummoxed by a closed door before a second robot of the same type, equipped with a fifth limb extending from its back, arrives to save the day. The second bot turns the handle, pulls the door open and holds it for the first to walk through, then follows. Continue reading... |
| Manchester residents oppose Gary Neville's redevelopment plans Posted: 14 Feb 2018 02:01 AM PST Ex-United player wants to build sports university but locals object to takeover of green belt Gary Neville's plans to transform Manchester have again been met with opposition after hundreds of residents objected to proposals by Manchester United's "class of 92" to build a new sports university near Old Trafford stadium. Neville unveiled the blueprint for University Academy 92, or UA92, in September with the aim of teaching students life skills as well as traditional courses. Continue reading... |
| Boris Johnson to say reversing Brexit vote would be disastrous - Politics live Posted: 14 Feb 2018 02:00 AM PST Follow the day's political developments as they happen, including the foreign secretary's 'road to Brexit' speech at 11am
There's been some reaction on the continent to the reports around Boris Johnson's speech, in which he plans to set out the liberal argument for Brexit. Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament's Brexit coordinator, has tweeted: Putting up barriers to the movement of trade and people & suggesting that the identity of citizens can only be national is not liberal - it's quite the opposite. https://t.co/g6RKDAmOll
Mordaunt refers to the UN's recent admission that "there were 300 incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse, including child rape, carried out by UN peacekeepers and civilian staff in 2016". We will step up our existing work with the UN secretary general to stop abuses under the UN flag. There will be no immunity for rape and sexual abuse and I welcome the recent statement from the UN to that effect and note the work that Unicef has done. We cannot let the UN flag provide cover for despiable acts. Continue reading... |
| Rex Tillerson reaping whirlwind of Trump's disruptive Middle East policies Posted: 14 Feb 2018 12:00 AM PST Trump's divisive Middle East policies in the past year are not advancing Tillerson's goals to stabilize the region and finish off Isis Like Jeeves clearing up broken crockery after a night of riotous partying by Bertie Wooster and his chums, Rex Tillerson is trying to soothe tempers and repair damage across the Middle East after a year of Donald Trump shenanigans. As a former high-flying Exxon-Mobil chief executive, the US secretary of state is unaccustomed to groveling. Continue reading... |
| Is the Illuminati running the world? Maybe it’s not such a mad idea | Julian Baggini Posted: 14 Feb 2018 02:00 AM PST Questioning the hidden power of elites – whether big pharma or secret societies – is really quite sane If the Illuminati is real, it's got to be the least secret secret society in the universe. It's so bad at keeping itself hidden that its existence is proclaimed all over the internet by people whose investigative toolkit consists entirely of Google and a lively imagination. The most recent would-be whistleblower, however, is far from your usual ex-sports commentator. Paul Hellyer, a former Canadian minister of defence, has blamed the Illuminati for suppressing technology brought to Earth by aliens that could end our reliance on fossil fuels. Continue reading... |
| Why Pyeongchang winners are receiving plush toys on platters Posted: 14 Feb 2018 12:15 AM PST Athletes are being gifted white tigers – a guardian animal in Korean mythology With the first medals awarded at the Winter Olympics, the internet exploded with a question: why were athletes given teddy bears, with no sign of their hard-won gold, silver or bronze medallions? If I were an Olympic athlete that just medaled, I would be lowkey mad that my podium picture was with a cheap teddy bear and not my medal♂️#OlympicGames2018 Continue reading... |
| Barnaby Joyce repels insurgency as Labor targets rental arrangement Posted: 14 Feb 2018 12:49 AM PST Tony Windsor and his former adviser stoke controversy about 2011 rural women's dinner Barnaby Joyce has managed to fend off an internal insurgency triggered by rolling controversy over his personal life, at least for now, but Labor has doubled down on a gift of free accommodation in Armidale from the prominent local businessman Greg Maguire. Wednesday opened ominously for Joyce with one of his colleagues predicting he would be visited by a shoulder tapping delegation over the course of the day, but supporters of the deputy prime minister rallied early, hitting the airwaves with public statements of support. Continue reading... |
| India threatens Pierce Brosnan with fine over pan masala adverts Posted: 14 Feb 2018 02:24 AM PST Actor says he was shocked his image was used to promote potentially harmful chewing mixture Delhi health officials have threatened to fine or jail the actor Pierce Brosnan if he fails to explain why he appeared in adverts for a chewing mixture that sometimes includes tobacco. Brosnan appeared nearly 18 months ago in TV and newspaper ads for a brand of pan masala, a popular Indian mixture that can contain tobacco, lime, spices and nuts. Continue reading... |
| Many young African women with HIV unaware they are infected Posted: 13 Feb 2018 11:00 PM PST Study across seven sub-Saharan countries shows less than half of young women carrying the virus were aware they had the disease Less than half of young women with HIV in seven southern and east African countries are aware they are infected, according to a wide-ranging study. The incidence of HIV infection among 15- to 24-year-old women in Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe is currently around 3.6% – some 1.5 million young and adolescent women – with an infection rate almost double that of their male counterparts. Continue reading... |
| 'Oxfam allegations are tip of iceberg': sexual harassment and aid workers – podcast Posted: 13 Feb 2018 10:00 PM PST Lucy Lamble talks to Rebecca Ratcliffe about her investigations into exploitation and the misuse of power in humanitarian organisations Stories about sexual misconduct by humanitarian workers have dominated the headlines in the last few days. But this is a story that has been bubbling under the surface for a long time. Rebecca Ratcliffe spent many months interviewing UN staff from around the world who have experienced sexual harassment and assault, but have been discouraged from complaining. She talks to Lucy Lamble about the culture of impunity, and of women being forced out of their jobs for daring to speak up. They discuss how the humanitarian sector as a whole can take action to stamp out such exploitation. Continue reading... |
| Sexualised atmosphere among aid workers in Haiti disturbed me | Phoebe Greenwood Posted: 13 Feb 2018 02:37 PM PST I was among thousands flown in after the 2010 quake, and was unsettled by the atmosphere
It was my first experience of a humanitarian catastrophe and I was overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster. I'd never seen anything like it. Neither had many of the aid veterans. The scale of the devastation and death – and need – was staggering. But what surprised me most was the huge appetite for debauchery among the foreigners who had flown in to help. I'd been expecting death. Perhaps I was naive, but I hadn't been expecting sex. Continue reading... |
| NGO crimes go far beyond Oxfam | Letters Posted: 13 Feb 2018 09:40 AM PST Figures for earthquake relief range from $10bn to $13.4bn. Some of us who visited Haiti have seen little or no sign of that money, write activists In 2008 some of us had written to Barbara Stocking, then Oxfam chief executive, objecting to a report that it sponsored, Rule of Rapists in Haiti, which labelled Haitians as rapists while hiding rapes by occupying UN forces. The year before, 114 soldiers had been sent home for raping women and girls, some as young as 11. No one was prosecuted. We wrote: "NGOs like Oxfam have known about rapes by UN forces, as well as by aid and charity workers, for decades. It's the pressure of victims, women and [children] in the most impoverished communities, who had the courage to speak out that finally won … public acknowledgement." There was no reply. The latest revelations of sexual abuse by major charities (Report, 13 February), are but one facet of NGO corruption. The people of Haiti were the first to free themselves from slavery, but the colonial "masters" they defeated – France, Britain and the US – have continued to plunder and exploit, including through imported NGOs. Haiti has more NGOs per square mile than any other country and it remains the poorest in the western hemisphere. Corruption begins and ends with neo-colonial powers. Continue reading... |
| Oxfam's disgraced Haiti official left earlier post over 'sex parties' Posted: 13 Feb 2018 09:19 AM PST Roland van Hauwermeiren was forced out of Liberia role with charity Merlin over sex worker allegations in 2004, before working for Oxfam The aid official embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal at the charity Oxfam had allegedly been forced out by another British charity seven years earlier, following an investigation into the use of sex workers. Roland van Hauwermeiren agreed to leave his job working for the charity Merlin in Liberia in 2004, following an investigation into sex parties with local women, according to the humanitarian news website Irin. Merlin, a medical emergency relief charity, has since merged with Save the Children. Continue reading... |
| New Orleans Mardi Gras marks city’s 300th anniversary – in pictures Posted: 13 Feb 2018 11:18 PM PST Revellers descend on New Orleans streets for parades and rowdy fun as Mardi Gras caps the carnival season in a city with a celebration of its own – its tricentennial. Many of the floats commemorate key events in the city's history Continue reading... |
| Engine on United Airlines plane falls apart on flight to Hawaii – video Posted: 13 Feb 2018 09:38 PM PST Passengers described the 'scariest flight' of their lives as they watched the engine cover come off as the plane neared Honolulu. The aircraft made an emergency landing and all the passengers exited the plane safely Continue reading... |
| FBI director releases details on former Trump aide Rob Porter – video Posted: 13 Feb 2018 12:00 PM PST The director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, has revealed new details on the background check for the former White House aide Rob Porter. Porter resigned this month after allegations of domestic abuse Continue reading... |
| 'We will shoot your vagina': Philippines president on communist rebels – video Posted: 13 Feb 2018 03:39 AM PST Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines president, has said soldiers should shoot female communist rebels in their vaginas. Duterte gave the order during a speech to more than 200 former communist soldiers last week Continue reading... |
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