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

Robert Mueller charges 13 Russians with interfering in US election to help Trump
Florida shooting: FBI admits it failed to investigate Nikolas Cruz tipoff
Turkey sentences journalists to life in jail over coup attempt
Outrage as US border agents cut visit times for divided families
Commerce department presses Trump to impose steep tariffs on overseas steel
French serial killer confesses to murder of British student
State of emergency declared in Ethiopia amid political unrest
Brazilian army to take control of security in Rio as violence rises
Russian oligarchs fight mine battle in London court
Kosovo at 10: challenges overshadow independence celebrations
Australia's coalition in crisis as PM goes to war with deputy over affair
Black Panther film fuels calls for release of jailed political activists
Plyscraper city: Tokyo to build 350m tower made of wood
Oxfam must change. But the reasons to support it will not | Lucy Lamble
Juergen Teller project helps young people respond to Grenfell
Welcome to Limassolgrad: the city getting rich on Russian money
Meet the Winter Olympians making big strides for diversity
Trump meets Florida survivors as shooting suspect plans to plead guilty
The Oxfam scandal does not justify demonising the entire aid sector | Megan Nobert
Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce meet to resolve row
Mexico hit by 7.2 magnitude earthquake, damaging buildings
Oxfam chief accuses critics of 'gunning' for charity over Haiti sex scandal claims
Mueller's indictment of 13 Russians strikes at the heart of the meddling matter
Ten key takeaways from Robert Mueller's Russia indictment
Most Americans can buy an AR-15 rifle before they can buy beer
'No more guns': chants ring out at Florida vigil – video

Robert Mueller charges 13 Russians with interfering in US election to help Trump

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 12:59 PM PST

DoJ indictment alleges Russian operatives 'communicated with unwitting individuals associated with the Trump campaign'

Ten key takeaways from the Mueller indictment

Thirteen Russians have been criminally charged for interfering in the 2016 US election to help Donald Trump, the office of Robert Mueller, the special counsel, announced on Friday.

Florida shooting: FBI admits it failed to investigate Nikolas Cruz tipoff

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 10:03 AM PST

Agency said report should have been investigated thoroughly
FBI says caller expressed concerns Cruz could attack a school
Jeff Sessions orders review of federal response to warnings

The FBI admitted on Friday it failed to investigate a specific report in January that Nikolas Cruz could be plotting a school shooting.

The agency said the tip should have been investigated thoroughly because it was a "potential threat to life". Cruz was arrested on Wednesday and has since been charged with murdering 17 people at a high school this week.

Turkey sentences journalists to life in jail over coup attempt

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 07:51 AM PST

Sentencing over alleged role in failed putsch condemned as showing disregard for rule of law

A Turkish court has sentenced six defendants, including three prominent journalists, to life in prison over allegations of involvement in a 2016 coup attempt, drawing fierce condemnation from the UN and press freedom advocates.

The convictions followed a months-long trial during which the prosecution alleged that the journalists sent "subliminal messages" via TV appearances and newspaper columns urging the overthrow of the government, and that they maintained contact with members of the Fethullah Gülen network, a movement widely believed in Turkey to have orchestrated the coup attempt.

Outrage as US border agents cut visit times for divided families

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 02:16 PM PST

Border Patrol restricting access to Friendship Park in California
'This has to do with the message of hate that Trump screams out'

US Border Patrol is restricting access to a park on the California-Mexico border where families separated by immigration laws frequently visit each other, sparking outrage from human rights advocates.

At Friendship Park, which extends from San Diego to Tijuana, US authorities are now limiting meetings to 30 minutes and allowing only 10 people at a time, a major policy change that dismantles what is for many families the only opportunity to spend time with their loved ones in person.

Commerce department presses Trump to impose steep tariffs on overseas steel

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 02:36 PM PST

Proposals would fulfil campaign promise to protect US steel
Brazil, China, Russia, South Korea and Vietnam targeted

The US commerce department has recommended that Donald Trump impose steep curbs on steel and aluminum imports from China and other nations ranging from global and country-specific tariffs to broad import quotas, according to proposals released on Friday.

The long-awaited proposals would fulfill Trump's campaign promise to protect the US steel industry from foreign competition, particularly from China. They are also likely to spark threats of retaliation.

French serial killer confesses to murder of British student

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 02:31 PM PST

After years of denials, Michel Fourniret admits killing Joanna Parrish, 20, in 1990

A French serial killer has confessed to the murder of British language student Joanna Parrish in France nearly three decades ago, the family lawyer told AFP on Friday.

Jailed for life in 2008 for killing seven girls and young women, Michel Fourniret was dubbed the Ogre of the Ardennes.

State of emergency declared in Ethiopia amid political unrest

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 11:53 AM PST

Emergency rule imposed by ruling EPRDF coalition following prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn's decision to resign

Ethiopia has announced a state of emergency after prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Thursday announced his intention to step down amid a political crisis in the country.

The ruling EPRDF coalition's council met on Friday and decided to impose emergency rule for an unspecified period, the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation said. The council "came to the conclusion that imposing emergency rule would be vital to safeguarding the constitutional order of our country". Further details are expected to be given by the defence minister on Saturday morning.

Brazilian army to take control of security in Rio as violence rises

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 08:00 AM PST

President Temer's plan aims to curb street crime and gang violence
Proposal criticised by residents of Rio's favelas

Brazilian president Michel Temer has signed a decree putting the military in charge of security in Rio de Janeiro, following a rise in street crime and drug gang violence.

Massed robberies and gunfights during carnival, followed by a storm that killed four and caused chaos, have heightened a sense that the city is slipping out of control.

Russian oligarchs fight mine battle in London court

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 10:18 AM PST

Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska embroiled in row over control of Russia's biggest mining company

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich is preparing for a London court battle with two other billionaire Russian oligarchs over control of Russia's biggest mining company.

Abramovich is being taken to court by Oleg Deripaska to prevent the Chelsea owner from selling his minority stake in mining firm Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) to Deripaska's rival Vladimir Potanin.

Kosovo at 10: challenges overshadow independence celebrations

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 04:42 AM PST

Migration, youth unemployment and unresolved alleged war crimes are headaches for Kosovo's international backers

51st state: Kosovo's bond to the US – photo essay

The bunting is going up on Pristina's Mother Teresa Boulevard, stages are assembled for concerts starring the Kosovo-born British singer Rita Ora, and international dignitaries are starting to arrive. On Saturday the small Balkan state marks the 10th anniversary of its declaration of independence, and the air of pride and enthusiasm is palpable.

"Independence was the best thing, the best thing, to happen to Kosovo," says Granit Miftari, a 27-year-old singer in aviator sunglasses as he passes a stage. "This is one of the best holidays that we can have."

Australia's coalition in crisis as PM goes to war with deputy over affair

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 03:39 AM PST

Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce trade blows over Joyce's affair with a member of his staff

A classic political sex scandal with a distinctly Australian flavour threatens to derail a near century-old coalition of the country's leading conservative parties.

In one corner is the deputy prime minister and leader of the Nationals, Barnaby Joyce, a bush hat-wearing, celebrity dog-deporting, rural politician who's been busted for having an affair.

Black Panther film fuels calls for release of jailed political activists

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 04:00 AM PST

Film serves as 'opportunity to remind people of the real heroes of the Black Panthers', says former party leader

When he was released from prison in 2014, Sekou Odinga felt like he was falling from the sky into a foreign land. After 33 years behind bars, the former Black Panther party leader was released into a United States he didn't recognize – with strange technology and grandchildren he had never hugged.

Though he celebrated with family and supporters, Odinga, 73, also remained mindful of the many other civil rights activists who weren't so lucky: "You always feel like you don't want to leave nobody behind."

Plyscraper city: Tokyo to build 350m tower made of wood

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 08:08 AM PST

The $5.6bn cost of the 70-storey W350 Project is expected to be twice that of a conventional building

A skyscraper set to be built in Tokyo will become the world's tallest to be made of wood.

The Japanese wood products company Sumitomo Forestry Co is proposing to build a 350 metre (1,148ft), 70-floor tower to commemorate its 350th anniversary in 2041.

Oxfam must change. But the reasons to support it will not | Lucy Lamble

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 09:51 AM PST

Despite the dreadful sex scandals, what's important for charity donors and supporters is to stay focused on what aid is all about

This has unquestionably been a dire week for Oxfam and other NGOs, for all who support them – and for the millions who benefit from that. There is no exaggerating the dreadfulness of the allegations, or the way they've been handled – and the way the issue continues to be mishandled. But for loyal donors, what now? The answer: stay focused.

Juergen Teller project helps young people respond to Grenfell

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 11:00 PM PST

Photographer provided camera phones, advice and direction to those affected by disaster

The photographer Juergen Teller has teamed up with 20 young people affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster, in a project that aims to document their lives and perspectives on the fallout from the blaze seven months ago.

Welcome to Limassolgrad: the city getting rich on Russian money

Posted: 17 Feb 2018 12:00 AM PST

The skyline in Cyprus is changing rapidly with rich Russians moving in to claim a little slice of the EU

Nearly five years on from Cyprus's near financial collapse and bailout, Limassol is undergoing a property development boom fuelled by Russian money.

In the marina of the island state's second largest city, opened in 2014 by the president, Nicos Anastasiades, super-yachts are birthed in front of €15m villas along with their support ships carrying helicopters and other accoutrements of the super rich.

Meet the Winter Olympians making big strides for diversity

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 06:00 PM PST

Simidele Adeagbo and Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian are part of a wider movement at competition that has been predominantly white

Simidele Adeagbo spent a decade training in the hopes of heading to the Olympics for the triple jump, missing out on a coveted spot by just eight inches. Then she spent five months training for the Winter Games and made history.

Adeagbo is one of three women representing Nigeria in Pyeongchang, the country's first ever team at the Winter Olympics, and part of a wider movement among black athletes seeking to increase diversity at a competition that has been predominantly white for much of its history.

Trump meets Florida survivors as shooting suspect plans to plead guilty

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 05:03 PM PST

President praises response to shooting while public defender says Nikolas Cruz will plead guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder

Donald Trump visited a Florida hospital on Friday night to meet survivors of this week's deadly high school shooting, as the local public defender said the suspect would plead guilty.

"It's very sad something like this could happen," Trump told reporters at Broward Health North hospital. "But the job the doctors did, the nurses, the hospital, the first responders, law enforcement, was really incredible."

The Oxfam scandal does not justify demonising the entire aid sector | Megan Nobert

Posted: 17 Feb 2018 01:00 AM PST

Aid agencies are learning how to deal with sexual misconduct more sensitively – let's give them space to do so

The #MeToo movement has been sparking change across the world. Now the humanitarian community has become the latest sector forced to recognise it has a serious problem that has been neglected for too long.

The scandal has highlighted sexual abuse committed by Oxfam staff in Haiti in 2011. Employees who paid for sex were allowed to resign and, while the incident could have been handled better, it sparked a change in the organisation. They introduced stronger policies and processes, strengthened their investigative department. Oxfam began taking a zero-tolerance policy in actions, not just words. Were an accusation made now, it would be handled differently.

Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce meet to resolve row

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 08:23 PM PST

Attempt to defuse tension comes as Liberal senator Ian Macdonald tells ABC Joyce should resign to the backbench

Barnaby Joyce and Malcolm Turnbull have met face-to-face in Sydney in an attempt to resolve the damaging public crisis engulfing the Coalition.

The pair are understood to have met about midday for more than an hour.

Mexico hit by 7.2 magnitude earthquake, damaging buildings

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 10:36 PM PST

No deaths are reported after shocks in southern Oaxaca state and Mexico City, but country remains on edge after last year's deadly quakes

A 7.2 magnitude quake rocked Mexico on Friday, causing minor damage to buildings in the southern state of Oaxaca, but with no preliminary reports of deaths.

The epicentre was close to a surfing resort on Oaxaca's Pacific coast and had a depth of 24.6 km (15.3 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. Both the south of Mexico and the capital are still reeling from earthquakes that caused widespread damage in September 2017.

Oxfam chief accuses critics of 'gunning' for charity over Haiti sex scandal claims

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 07:10 AM PST

Mark Goldring admits organisation's failings but says 'scale and intensity' of criticism is disproportionate

•Oxfam CEO: 'Anything we say is manipulated. We've been savaged'

The chief executive of Oxfam has hit back at the storm of criticism surrounding the charity's sex exploitation scandal in Haiti, claiming attacks on the organisation are "out of proportion to the level of culpability".

In an interview with the Guardian, Mark Goldring repeated his apology for Oxfam's failings and acknowledged that major reforms were needed. But warning that the controversy has already affected vital donations, he accused critics of "gunning" for the charity and said some were motivated in part by an anti-aid agenda.

Mueller's indictment of 13 Russians strikes at the heart of the meddling matter

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 01:35 PM PST

Special counsel buries Trump's obfuscations over Russian meddling, but has not yet produced compelling evidence of collusion

What Robert Mueller delivered in Friday's indictment were the first charges for interfering in the 2016 presidential election. He is getting to the heart of the matter.

Ten key takeaways from Robert Mueller's Russia indictment

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 11:47 AM PST

The charge sheet provides powerful new evidence of a Russian plot – but does not name any Americans as alleged co-conspirators

The US justice department on Friday announced that a grand jury convened by special counsel Robert Mueller had indicted 13 Russians and three Russian entities in an alleged conspiracy to defraud the United States, including by tampering in the 2016 presidential election on behalf of Donald Trump and against Hillary Clinton.

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Most Americans can buy an AR-15 rifle before they can buy beer

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 03:00 AM PST

The military-style gun, the weapon of choice for mass shootings, can be bought in most states starting at the age of 18

Americans have to be 21 before they can legally buy alcohol. But in most states, they can buy an AR-15 military-style rifle starting at age 18.

'No more guns': chants ring out at Florida vigil – video

Posted: 16 Feb 2018 05:00 AM PST

Anger rises at a vigil in memory of the 17 people killed during a shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Florida.

Broward County sheriff Scott Israel said that any official not wanting to see change to gun laws in the county would not be re-elected.