World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

Suspect escaped Florida shooting scene by hiding among students as they fled
US wasting billions on nuclear bombs that serve no purpose and are security liability – experts
Fugitive convicted of Peter Blake's death re-captured after 16 years
Jeffrey Tambor: Transparent star fired over sexual harassment claims
Blood-thinning drugs designed to cut stroke risk may actually increase it
Cleaning products a big source of urban air pollution, say scientists
Laser scanning reveals 'lost' ancient Mexican city had as many buildings as Manhattan
Trump's travel ban is unconstitutional religious discrimination, US court rules
DIY faecal transplants carry risks including HIV and hepatitis, warn experts
Columbine survivor to Florida students: 'you will come out on the other side'
'It's a new day' - cautious optimism greets Ramaphosa era in South Africa
Salvadoran woman jailed over stillbirth freed after 11 years
Dongguan in the spotlight: hi-tech comeback for 'factory of the world'?
Why Silicon Valley billionaires are prepping for the apocalypse in New Zealand
Sinn Féin claims papers prove power-sharing deal was struck
Business leader warns May against harsh immigration policy
The brutal world of sheep fighting: the illegal sport beloved by Algeria’s angry young men
Ramaphosa to pledge corruption fight in first major speech as leader
Florida shooting: focus shifts to NRA and gun lobby cash to lawmakers
One in 10 senior politicians in Brazil funded by companies 'linked to slavery'
Turnbull's criticism has ensured Joyce stays, Nationals MPs say
‘Unspeakable numbers’: 10,000 civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan in 2017
Desmond Tutu resigns as Oxfam ambassador over 'immorality' claims
'Lies and exaggerations' says Oxfam official accused of hosting sex parties
Trump again emphasizes 'mental health' over gun control after Florida shooting
Victims of Florida school shooting remembered at vigil – in pictures
Judge orders Florida shooting suspect to be held in jail without bond – video
South African MPs celebrate as Cyril Ramaphosa is sworn in - video
Trump on Florida shooting: 'We hurt for the entire community' – video
Police capture Florida school shooting suspect – video
The aftermath of the Florida school shooting – in pictures

Suspect escaped Florida shooting scene by hiding among students as they fled

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 04:01 PM PST

Nikolas Cruz, 19, charged with 17 counts of murder as officials confirm the AR-15 rifle used to commit massacre was purchased legally

The suspect in the school shooting that left 17 people dead in Parkland, Florida, escaped the scene by dropping his rifle and backpack and mixing in with the crowd of fleeing students, authorities confirmed at a press conference Thursday.

Officials also confirmed that the AR-15 rifle he used in the massacre was purchased lawfully in Florida by the gunman over a year ago.

US wasting billions on nuclear bombs that serve no purpose and are security liability – experts

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 10:35 AM PST

Washington to spend billions upgrading cold-war-era B61 bombs
NTI report says weapons are potentially catastrophic liability

The US is to spend billions of dollars upgrading 150 nuclear bombs positioned in Europe, although the weapons may be useless as a deterrent and a potentially catastrophic security liability, according to a new report by arms experts.

Fugitive convicted of Peter Blake's death re-captured after 16 years

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 04:25 PM PST

José Irandir Cardoso was one of six convicted over killing of leading sailor in Brazil in 2001

Brazilian police on a remote Amazon river island have arrested a man involved in the murder of round-the-world sailor Sir Peter Blake in 2001.

José Irandir Cardoso had been a fugitive for the last 16 years, after escaping from prison in 2002. He was captured by police during a routine stop-and-search in the town of Breves, on the island of Marajó at the mouth of the Amazon river, in the Amazon state of Pará.

Jeffrey Tambor: Transparent star fired over sexual harassment claims

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 12:50 PM PST

After an investigation, which the lead star of the Amazon comedy-drama called 'deeply flawed', the Emmy winner will not return for future seasons

Jeffrey Tambor has been dropped from the Emmy-winning Amazon comedy-drama Transparent after sexual harassment allegations.

Blood-thinning drugs designed to cut stroke risk may actually increase it

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 10:19 AM PST

Scientists call for caution in prescribing anticoagulants after some patients with other conditions found to suffer more strokes

Blood-thinning drugs may increase rather than cut the risk of stroke in some people over 65 who have an irregular heartbeat and also chronic kidney disease, according to a new study.

The researchers are calling on doctors to be more cautious in prescribing the drugs, called anticoagulants, until there has been more research.

Cleaning products a big source of urban air pollution, say scientists

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 11:00 AM PST

Research shows paints, perfumes, sprays and other synthetic items contribute to high levels of 'volatile organic compounds' in air

Household cleaners, paints and perfumes have become substantial sources of urban air pollution as strict controls on vehicles have reduced road traffic emissions, scientists say.

Researchers in the US looked at levels of synthetic "volatile organic compounds", or VOCs, in roadside air in Los Angeles and found that as much came from industrial and household products refined from petroleum as from vehicle exhaust pipes.

Laser scanning reveals 'lost' ancient Mexican city had as many buildings as Manhattan

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 08:00 AM PST

Groundbreaking lidar scanning reveals the true scale of Angamuco, built by the Purépecha from about 900AD

Archaeology might evoke thoughts of intrepid explorers and painstaking digging, but in fact researchers say it is a high-tech laser mapping technique that is rewriting the textbooks at an unprecedented rate.

The approach, known as light detection and ranging scanning (lidar) involves directing a rapid succession of laser pulses at the ground from an aircraft.

Trump's travel ban is unconstitutional religious discrimination, US court rules

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 10:58 AM PST

Federal appeals court calls ban 'unconstitutionally tainted with animus toward Islam' as case makes its way to supreme court

Donald Trump's latest travel ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries is unconstitutional because it discriminates against people based on their religion, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

In a 9-4 vote, the fourth US circuit court of appeals in Richmond, Virginia, said it examined statements made by Trump and other administration officials, as well as the ban itself, and concluded that it was "unconstitutionally tainted with animus toward Islam".

DIY faecal transplants carry risks including HIV and hepatitis, warn experts

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 11:00 AM PST

Faecal transplants have been used in medical settings to tackle superbugs, but following YouTube videos at home is too risky, say researchers

Concerns have been raised about the growing trend for DIY faecal transplants, with experts fearing such attempts could put individuals at an increased risk of HIV and hepatitis as well as conditions ranging from Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis to obesity and sleep disorders.

The transfer of faeces from one human to another has gained attention as a growing number of studies have suggested links between microbes in the gut and a host of health problems, from autoimmune diseases to anxiety.

Columbine survivor to Florida students: 'you will come out on the other side'

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 06:21 AM PST

Austin Eubanks became addicted to painkillers after the 1999 shooting. Lean in to the pain and grief, he says – don't try to escape it

Nineteen years ago, Austin Eubanks hid under a table in his high school library as two students opened fire on their classmates. He and his friends had been ready to get lunch when they first heard gunshots outside. They had not recognized the sound and thought the bangs were construction noises. Then a teacher ran into the library and screamed at them to hide.

When the shooting stopped, Eubanks ran through the smoke out of the library, and out of the school. He was 17, with gunshot wounds in his hand and knee, and he had just witnessed his best friend killed in front of him.

'It's a new day' - cautious optimism greets Ramaphosa era in South Africa

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 08:44 AM PST

While some people question whether new president can change anything, most seem prepared to give him benefit of doubt

Even at noon in Alexandra, few had heard the news that Jacob Zuma had resigned.

Salvadoran woman jailed over stillbirth freed after 11 years

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 10:59 AM PST

Teodora del Carmen Vásquez's 30-year sentence under country's total ban on abortions is commuted

A woman sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated murder after having a stillbirth has been freed in El Salvador in a case highlighting the dire consequences of the Central American country's total ban on abortion.

Teodora del Carmen Vásquez, 34, was released on Thursday after serving almost 11 years for a crime she has always vehemently denied. Her sentence was commuted by the supreme court on the grounds that there was insufficient scientific evidence to determine that she had intentionally caused the stillbirth, but her conviction was not overturned.

Dongguan in the spotlight: hi-tech comeback for 'factory of the world'?

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 11:30 PM PST

After an economic slump lasting years, Dongguan – the home of 'Made in China' – is reinventing itself as a robotics base

This month Dongguan, in the heart of the Pearl River Delta economic zone of south China, is transformed from a city of migrants into a city of ghosts.

The Chinese New Year holiday marks the start of the biggest annual human migration on the planet. During the Spring Festival travel rush – or Chunyun in Mandarin – which runs from 1 February to 12 March 2018, it's estimated that Chinese returning to their home towns for family reunions will make 2.98 billion trips. According to China's National Development and Reform Commission, in total, 2.48 billion road trips, 390 million rail trips, 65 million air trips and 46 million boat trips are expected to be made over the 40-day period. Nowhere is this large-scale migration likely to be more evident than in Dongguan, an industrial city in central Guangdong province.

Why Silicon Valley billionaires are prepping for the apocalypse in New Zealand

Posted: 14 Feb 2018 10:00 PM PST

How an extreme libertarian tract predicting the collapse of liberal democracies – written by Jacob Rees-Mogg's father – inspired the likes of Peter Thiel to buy up property across the Pacific

If you're interested in the end of the world, you're interested in New Zealand. If you're interested in how our current cultural anxieties – climate catastrophe, decline of transatlantic political orders, resurgent nuclear terror – manifest themselves in apocalyptic visions, you're interested in the place occupied by this distant archipelago of apparent peace and stability against the roiling unease of the day.

If you're interested in the end of the world, you would have been interested, soon after Donald Trump's election as US president, to read a New York Times headline stating that Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist who co-founded PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook, considered New Zealand to be "the Future". Because if you are in any serious way concerned about the future, you're also concerned about Thiel, a canary in capitalism's coal mine who also happens to have profited lavishly from his stake in the mining concern itself.

Sinn Féin claims papers prove power-sharing deal was struck

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 11:46 AM PST

Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, rejects claim her party scuppered a Northern Ireland settlement

Sinn Féin has released documents which the party claimed proved that an agreement had been struck on power-sharing in Northern Ireland – only for the DUP to scupper the deal later.

Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin's new leader, said the papers showed that a deal was in place between the two parties that would have secured a return to a power-sharing government in Stormont.

Business leader warns May against harsh immigration policy

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 11:40 PM PST

Skills gap and policy delay may ruin firms, says British Chambers of Commerce chief
• Businesses are floundering while Whitehall dithers

British companies are facing a recruitment crisis, with labour shortages hitting critical levels in some sectors, according to a business leader who has urged the government to produce details on a post-Brexit immigration system.

Adam Marshall, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the lack of candidates for some jobs was biting hard, and he warned ministers against bringing forward a "draconian and damaging" visa or work permit system.

The brutal world of sheep fighting: the illegal sport beloved by Algeria’s angry young men

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 10:00 PM PST

Algeria's 'lost generation' has been shaped by years of conflict, unemployment and state repression. Sheep fighting offers an arena where men can escape the constant supervision of the state. By Hannah Rae Armstrong

Last August in Algiers, one week before the holiday of Eid al-Adha, men in tracksuits and trainers were guarding their sheep in anticipation of the fights to come. Kbabshis, as these men are known, scour villages looking for lambs that are fast, belligerent and shock-resistant. They then spend years raising them to be champion fighters. Coaches are tough but also surprisingly tender. They treat their sheep like mistresses, stopping by the garages where they install them, bringing food, caressing and massaging them before they head out together for long walks on the beach.

Professional trainers toughen their sheep by chaining their horns to a wall: as they pull and twist to break away, the resistance thickens their sinewy necks. Unlike with cockfighting, there is no gambling on sheep fights, but speculation on the sheep market can make it a lucrative trade. Each fight lifts the value of its victor and sentences the loser to slaughter. A champion ram might fetch as much as $10,000 – although most sheep trainers on a winning streak prefer to chase glory than cash. The sheep are given names that inspire fear, like Rambo, Jaws or Lawyer. In the third round of one recent match, Hitler delivered a brutal defeat to Saddam.

Ramaphosa to pledge corruption fight in first major speech as leader

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 01:50 AM PST

South African president will outline strategy for economic growth and combating inequality

Cyril Ramaphosa will outline his strategy to restore economic growth, fight corruption and tackle entrenched inequality in South Africa in the first major speech of his presidency.

The former deputy president was sworn in as head of state hours after being elected unanimously by parliament to replace Jacob Zuma, who resigned late on Wednesday following accusations of corruption and economic mismanagement.

Florida shooting: focus shifts to NRA and gun lobby cash to lawmakers

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 12:18 AM PST

Anger as some Republicans call for prayers for victims rather than suggesting action on gun control

In the minutes and hours after a teenage gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida, politicians began what has become something of a grim ritual following mass shootings: they offered "thoughts and prayers" to the victims and their families.

The response, as it has in the past, drew fierce criticism from Democrats and supporters of stricter gun control legislation, who view the condolences as woefully inadequate as mass shootings become more frequent and more lethal.

One in 10 senior politicians in Brazil funded by companies 'linked to slavery'

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 02:00 AM PST

Investigation finds President Michel Temer among 51 politicians on 'dirty list' receiving donations from firms accused of labour abuses

More than one in 10 of Brazil's high-ranking politicians, among them President Michel Temer, received campaign donations from companies linked to modern-day slavery, an investigation has found.

Party leaders, state secretaries and five of ex-president Dilma Rousseff's governors are included in the "dirty list" of elected parliamentarians who received R$3.5m (£760,000) during the last general election, according to the NGO Repórter Brasil.

Turnbull's criticism has ensured Joyce stays, Nationals MPs say

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 11:11 PM PST

Liberal MP Kevin Andrews says the leaders should cease public commentary and sort things out

Malcolm Turnbull has ensured Barnaby Joyce will "never be shifted" as Nationals leader and his position has "cemented", say supporters rallying around the deputy prime minister.

As the prime minister attempted to calm tempers by walking back some of his comments on Joyce, publicly declaring he had not "sought in any way to influence the deliberations in the National party" or "made any criticism of the National party", he stood by his criticism of the Nationals leader's behaviour in having an extramarital affair.

‘Unspeakable numbers’: 10,000 civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan in 2017

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 11:00 PM PST

Casualties above 10,000 for the fourth consecutive year, despite small drop on 2016 figures, as UN describes 'appalling human suffering'

More than 10,000 civilians were killed or injured in the violent attacks in the war in Afghanistan last year, the United Nations has said.

The annual report released on 15 February by the UN's mission in Afghanistan (Unama) showed the figure had dropped by 9% in 2017, compared with the previous year.

Desmond Tutu resigns as Oxfam ambassador over 'immorality' claims

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 08:21 AM PST

Archbishop 'deeply disappointed' by charity's sex scandal, amid fresh turmoil as Oxfam admits it rehired worker previously sacked over misconduct in Haiti

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has resigned as an ambassador for Oxfam, saying he is "deeply disappointed" about the charity's sex scandal.

The South African, who was regarded as a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement, has retired as a church leader but still continues to work with the Elders – a group of senior international figures.

'Lies and exaggerations' says Oxfam official accused of hosting sex parties

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 04:36 AM PST

Former Haiti director Roland van Hauwermeiren says media will be 'blushing' when they hear facts about claims of sexual misconduct

The former senior Oxfam official accused of being at the centre of a sexual misconduct ring while working in Haiti has hit back at the "lies and exaggerations" about his case.

In his first interview since being accused of hosting sex parties with prostitutes while working in the country in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, Roland van Hauwermeiren claimed many would be "embarrassed" when he finally told his version of events.

Trump again emphasizes 'mental health' over gun control after Florida shooting

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 11:24 PM PST

Trump's speech in response to Florida high school shooting was code for: forget background checks and other gun control measures

It has been observed that there are two Donald Trumps: Twitter Trump and Teleprompter Trump. Early on Thursday, Twitter Trump came dangerously close to blaming the victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

He described the suspect as "mentally disturbed" and stressed that it was important to "report such instances to authorities, again and again!"

Victims of Florida school shooting remembered at vigil – in pictures

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 05:59 PM PST

Hundreds gathered on Thursday for a prayer vigil at Parkridge church, in Parkland, Florida, after a school shooting in which 17 people were killed. Suspect Nikolas Cruz, 19, was arrested more than an hour after shooting began at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school. He was detained after mixing with students fleeing the scene.

Judge orders Florida shooting suspect to be held in jail without bond – video

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 01:35 PM PST

Nikolas Cruz, 19, has appeared in court charged with murder of 17 people and will be held in jail without bond, a Broward County judge has ordered. The ex-student walked into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland on 14 February and opened fire on students and teachers, Broward County sheriff Scott Israel said. Police believe he acted alone

South African MPs celebrate as Cyril Ramaphosa is sworn in - video

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 10:46 AM PST

Cyril Ramaphosa has taken over as president of South Africa and, in a thinly veiled reference to accusations levelled against his predecessor Jacob Zuma, vowed to fight corruption. Ramaphosa was sworn in less than 16 hours after Zuma resigned, having defiantly refused to leave office for days. Wearing a dark suit and red tie, Ramaphosa, 65, sat quietly while lawmakers from the ruling African National Congress stood, clapped and sang in celebration. He was appointed unopposed

Ramaphosa vows anti-corruption drive as he takes over in South Africa

Trump on Florida shooting: 'We hurt for the entire community' – video

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 09:31 AM PST

The US president has called for 'healing and peace' a day after a 19-year-old man was accused of killing at least 17 people at a Florida high school, saying his administration will work to improve school safety and address mental illness problems. 'We must also work together to create a culture in our country that embraces the dignity of life, that creates deep and meaningful human connections,' Trump said at the White House, adding that he planned to visit victims and local authorities in Parkland at a later date

• Florida shooting suspect charged amid questions over warning signs

Florida shooting victims: family and friends pay tribute to the lives cut short

Police capture Florida school shooting suspect – video

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 06:58 AM PST

Footage captures the moment officers arrest a man suspected of carrying out an attack at a school in Florida, in which 17 people were killed. Aerial footage also shows police patting Nikolas Cruz down before putting him in a patrol car. The suspect was a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school

The aftermath of the Florida school shooting – in pictures

Posted: 15 Feb 2018 03:37 AM PST

Seventeen people were confirmed dead as the US endured another horrifying school shooting at the hands of a teenage gunman armed with an AR-15 assault rifle

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World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

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