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- Border security deal reached to avert another US shutdown
- Climate and economic risks 'threaten 2008-style systemic collapse'
- Spain says 'disinformation’ surrounds Catalan separatists’ trial
- French police investigate antisemitic attacks in Paris
- Measles outbreak in Philippines kills 70, with vaccine fearmongering blamed
- Brexit: Leadsom urges Tories not to be 'purist' about Irish backstop
- Air New Zealand flight's U-turn sparks claims of China tensions
- Ultima Thule: snowman-shaped space rock is actually 'flat like a pancake'
- Ebola vaccine offered in exchange for sex, say women in Congo
- French ‘boys’ club’ of journalists accused of bullying women online
- 'We need more people to go by bike': meet Amsterdam's nine-year-old junior cycle mayor
- 'Un big mess' – how the rest of Europe views Brexit
- CCTV could be made mandatory in taxis in England and Wales
- Brexit: Let's 'hold our nerve,' May to tell MPs as Leadsom hints UK softening call for deal rewrite - Politics live
- Aid agencies pull out of Idlib in face of new terror threat
- Pompeo in Hungary for Orbán meeting as US reengages in region
- Labor accuses Coalition of welching on a deal over encryption bill
- Why can't we talk about the UK sending arms to Yemen? | Anna Stavrianakis
- Trump: 'Just so you know, we're building the wall anyway.' – video
- Democratic senator Amy Klobuchar announces presidential bid – video report
- Iranians mark the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution – in pictures
| Border security deal reached to avert another US shutdown Posted: 12 Feb 2019 01:05 AM PST Agreement allocates $1.4bn to border security, far less than $5.7bn demanded by Donald Trump Democratic and Republican negotiators have agreed to finance construction of new barriers along the US-Mexico border as part of a deal to avoid another government shutdown. The tentative agreement allocates nearly $1.4bn to border security, far less than the $5.7bn demanded by Donald Trump. It allows for the construction of 55 miles of new fencing, built through existing designs such as metal slats, instead of the 215-mile concrete wall demanded by Trump in December. Continue reading... |
| Climate and economic risks 'threaten 2008-style systemic collapse' Posted: 11 Feb 2019 10:00 PM PST Environmental and social problems could interact in global breakdown, report says The gathering storm of human-caused threats to climate, nature and economy pose a danger of systemic collapse comparable to the 2008 financial crisis, according to a new report that calls for urgent and radical reform to protect political and social systems. The study says the combination of global warming, soil infertility, pollinator loss, chemical leaching and ocean acidification is creating a "new domain of risk", which is hugely underestimated by policymakers even though it may pose the greatest threat in human history. Continue reading... |
| Spain says 'disinformation’ surrounds Catalan separatists’ trial Posted: 11 Feb 2019 09:00 PM PST Spanish ambassador to London speaks out in effort to convince world trial is not political The trial of 12 Catalan separatist leaders in Madrid is of "paramount importance to Spain's reputation as a modern democracy", the Spanish ambassador to London, Carlos Bastarreche, has said in a rare public intervention intended to convince the world the trial is not political. The ambassador, acting as part of a Europe-wide effort by the Madrid government, accused the pro-independence Catalan regional government of "a massive campaign of disinformation" and said the best way to fight back was with transparency. Continue reading... |
| French police investigate antisemitic attacks in Paris Posted: 12 Feb 2019 12:33 AM PST Swastikas drawn on postboxes alongside images of Holocaust survivor Simone Veil French police are investigating a spate of antisemitic acts in Paris and the surrounding area in the past few days, as the government announced a 74% rise in the number of antisemitic incidents last year. In separate incidents in recent days, swastikas were drawn on Paris postboxes bearing portraits of the late politician and Holocaust survivor Simone Veil. The word Juden (German for Jews) was sprayed on the window of a bagel bakery on the Île Saint-Louis in the heart of the capital. Continue reading... |
| Measles outbreak in Philippines kills 70, with vaccine fearmongering blamed Posted: 11 Feb 2019 09:09 PM PST The deaths, mostly of children, are part of an alarming wave of measles cases worldwide over the past few years The Philippines is in the midst of a growing measles crisis, with at least 70 deaths, mainly of children, in the past month. In January, there were 4,302 reported cases of measles in the country, an increase of 122% on the same period last year. The outbreak has been blamed on a backlash against vaccinations. Continue reading... |
| Brexit: Leadsom urges Tories not to be 'purist' about Irish backstop Posted: 12 Feb 2019 01:19 AM PST MPs should 'hold their nerve' and give May time to seek changes, says Commons leader Andrea Leadsom has urged Conservative MPs not to be "purist" about the changes Theresa May hopes to secure for the Irish backstop arrangement, as she said the House of Commons must give the prime minister more time for negotiations. The comments are likely to spark concern among Tory Eurosceptics who have insisted the withdrawal agreement must be reopened and legally binding changes made to the backstop, though MPs differ over whether they would like it removed entirely and replaced or just given a time limit. Continue reading... |
| Air New Zealand flight's U-turn sparks claims of China tensions Posted: 11 Feb 2019 10:06 PM PST Plane's turnaround after four-and-a-half hours forces PM to reject suggestions frosty ties are to blame An international flight from Auckland to Shanghai has turned around mid-air and returned to New Zealand, sparking concerns over increasingly frosty relations between the two countries and setting off a political war of words. Air New Zealand flight NZ289 left Auckland on Sunday morning but, four-and-a-half hours into its trip to Shanghai, the Boeing 787-9 made a U-turn in a move that has been described as "very unusual" by aviation experts. Continue reading... |
| Ultima Thule: snowman-shaped space rock is actually 'flat like a pancake' Posted: 11 Feb 2019 06:41 PM PST New photos give fresh perspective on the cosmic body and raise questions about how it was formed The faraway space snowman visited by Nasa last month has a surprisingly flat — not round — behind. New photos from the New Horizons spacecraft offer a new perspective on the small cosmic body 4bn miles (6.4bn km) away. The two-lobed object, nicknamed Ultima Thule, is actually flatter on the backside than originally thought, according to scientists. Continue reading... |
| Ebola vaccine offered in exchange for sex, say women in Congo Posted: 11 Feb 2019 11:00 PM PST As experts urge global warning over outbreak, women and girls in Beni report alleged exploitation An unparalleled Ebola vaccination programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become engulfed in allegations of impropriety, amid claims that women are being asked for sexual favours in exchange for treatment. Research by several NGOs has revealed that a deep mistrust of health workers is rife in DRC and gender-based violence is believed to have increased since the start of the Ebola outbreak in August. Continue reading... |
| French ‘boys’ club’ of journalists accused of bullying women online Posted: 11 Feb 2019 03:04 PM PST Five suspended over role in group that allegedly harassed other journalists for years A clique of French journalists has been accused of bullying female colleagues via social media. Six people have been suspended for their role in the closed Facebook group Ligue du LOL, a macho online "boys' club" that reportedly harassed female and minority ethnic journalists for years. Continue reading... |
| 'We need more people to go by bike': meet Amsterdam's nine-year-old junior cycle mayor Posted: 11 Feb 2019 11:30 PM PST As the world's first junior cycle mayor, Lotta Crok wants to draw attention to the obstacles kids on bikes face – and inspire other children to cycle During Amsterdam's chaotic rush hour, nine-year-old Lotta Crok cycles to a very busy junction. "Look," she says. "There's traffic coming from everywhere. Four trams from four different directions. For a child on a bike that's really confusing!" Lotta is the first junior cycle mayor in the world and her working area is the Dutch capital. It is her mission to inspire children to cycle every day and draw attention to the obstacles that kids on bikes are facing. Continue reading... |
| 'Un big mess' – how the rest of Europe views Brexit Posted: 11 Feb 2019 10:00 PM PST Seven correspondents report on how the UK's political upheaval has affected its image on the continent The comment slipped out after a long, geeky conversation about Brexit's potential impact on Ireland's trade, employment, banking and consumer confidence. "You know, we'd almost forgotten how good it felt to stick it to the Brits." The speaker shrugged and grinned. "Old habits." Continue reading... |
| CCTV could be made mandatory in taxis in England and Wales Posted: 11 Feb 2019 04:01 PM PST Licensing law proposals also include more rigorous regime on driver background checks Taxis and minicab drivers in England and Wales could be forced to install CCTV in their vehicles under government proposals to tighten up licensing laws. Local authorities might also have to conduct enhanced criminal record and background checks on every driver. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 12 Feb 2019 01:51 AM PST Rolling coverage of the day's political developments as they happen, including Theresa May's statement to MPs about Brexit
Here are the main points from Andrea Leadsom's Today interview. It is a negotiation. It is not possible to predict the future. But the meaningful vote will come back to parliament as soon as the issue around the backstop has been sorted out. Much of the preparations for Brexit, whether there is a deal or no deal, takes place in secondary legislation, something that is not often covered by media ... We have up to 600 statutory instruments [to pass]. We have now laid 411 of them ... They are being passed ... Those that need to be passed by 29 March, I am confident will be passed. There is a huge amount of work going on in the committee rooms.
Theresa May is going to give a statement to MPs about Brexit this afternoon. As the Guardian reports in its overnight story, she is going to ask the Commons to her another fortnight's grace to keep pushing for changes to the Irish backstop. Or, as May herself will put it, according to an extract from her statement released by Number 10 in advance, she will urge MPs to told their nerve. She will say: The talks are at a crucial stage. We now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this House has required and deliver Brexit on time. By getting the changes we need to the backstop; by protecting and enhancing workers' rights and environmental protections; and by enhancing the role of parliament in the next phase of negotiations I believe we can reach a deal that this House can support. MH: Are you still holding out, you personally holding out, for changes to the withdrawal agreement? AL: You know, the point is to ensure that the UK cannot be held in a backstop permanently. How it's achieved is not something to be purist about. Continue reading... |
| Aid agencies pull out of Idlib in face of new terror threat Posted: 11 Feb 2019 09:00 PM PST Fear of aid money being diverted by Tahrir al-Sham has led donors to cut funding In Syria's Idlib province, the dust has largely settled after last month's dramatic takeover of the area by al-Qaida-linked fighters. As a result, however, international organisations have withdrawn aid and support for schools and hospitals – and Idlib's 3 million residents are beginning to feel the pinch. Idlib, the last pocket of Syria that remains outside President Bashar al-Assad's control, was spared an assault by the regime and Russia last autumn, after an 11th hour truce brokered by Moscow and Ankara. Continue reading... |
| Pompeo in Hungary for Orbán meeting as US reengages in region Posted: 11 Feb 2019 11:21 PM PST US secretary of state will dine with Hungarian leader before travelling to other countries The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has embarked on a tour of central European countries aimed at countering the influence of Russia and China, after a decade in which the region has been sidelined by US diplomacy. "When we're not here others will show up," said Pompeo at a joint press conference with the Hungarian foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, on Monday afternoon in Budapest. Continue reading... |
| Labor accuses Coalition of welching on a deal over encryption bill Posted: 12 Feb 2019 01:51 AM PST Mark Dreyfus says opposition will continue to push to improve protections against 'systemic weaknesses' Anti-corruption bodies will gain new powers under changes to the government's encryption legislation to be introduced on Wednesday but Labor will continue to push to improve protections against the creation of "systemic weaknesses". On Tuesday the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, accused the Coalition of welching on a deal to support amendments consistent with a bipartisan security committee report and announced the opposition will push them in the Senate. Continue reading... |
| Why can't we talk about the UK sending arms to Yemen? | Anna Stavrianakis Posted: 11 Feb 2019 05:28 AM PST A Commons committee is scrutinising UK arms export controls – yet the Yemen conflict isn't even on the agenda Seated in front of a tapestry embroidered with words from the lexicon of "British values" – freedom, equality, tolerance, liberty – ten MPs spent an hour last week taking evidence from NGOs on an issue that calls these values into question: UK arms export policy. This is the Parliamentary committees on arms export controls (CAEC) in action: a body responsible for scrutinising government policy and holding it to account. Continue reading... |
| Trump: 'Just so you know, we're building the wall anyway.' – video Posted: 11 Feb 2019 11:46 PM PST Donald Trump's pursuit of a border wall continued as he spoke at a rally in El Paso, Texas. Banners reading 'Finish the wall' lined the El Paso County Coliseum as the president spoke of how Democrats wanted to propose measures that would 'release of thousands of criminal illegal aliens'
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| Democratic senator Amy Klobuchar announces presidential bid – video report Posted: 11 Feb 2019 01:14 PM PST Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has joined the crowded field of Democratic candidates for 2020 that includes a historic number of women seeking the presidency. The three-term senator, who is often characterised as "Minnesota nice" amid the rough-and-tumble of politics, is looking to be a contrast to Donald Trump's brash personality and often vitriolic rhetoric. Continue reading... |
| Iranians mark the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution – in pictures Posted: 11 Feb 2019 06:09 AM PST Hundreds of thousands of students, clerics, soldiers and black-clad women holding small children thronged streets across Iran to mark the toppling of the shah – many carrying portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who died in 1989, and Iran's current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Continue reading... |
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