Child had been taken by her family to have the procedure, still prevalent in the country despite new laws to combat itA doctor has been arrested after the death of a 12-year-old girl he had performed female genital mutilation (FGM) on.Nada Hassan Abdel-Maqsoud bled to death at a private clinic in Manfalout, close to the city of Assiut, after her parents, uncle and aunt took her for the procedure. Continue reading...
Suppression order blocks hearing in which ex-officer Gary Jubelin hoped ‘full facts’ would be airedAn inability to show secret documents to a magistrate has delayed the case against the former senior police officer who led the inquiry into William Tyrrell’s disappearance.Former NSW homicide detective Gary Kevin Jubelin, 57, is accused of illegally recording four conversations in 2017 and 2018 as he investigated how the three-year-old boy went missing from a home in Kendall in September 2014. Continue reading...
by Rajeev Syal, Jennifer Rankin and Daniel Boffey on (#4YSTM)
Prime minister’s vision on future trading relationship will clash with that of EU leadersBoris Johnson will issue a direct warning on Monday that the UK will refuse close alignment of rules and reject the jurisdiction of the European courts in any trade deal as EU leaders prepare to give his plans a frosty reception.In a bullish speech setting out the government’s negotiating position, the prime minister will set out his vision for future relations with the trading bloc and reject accepting similar rules over competition, welfare spending and environmental standards. Continue reading...
Local and central government officials face growing wave of anger over handling of coronavirus outbreakFootage of government officials in Wuhan appearing to take face masks intended for health workers battling the highly infectious coronavirus has fuelled a growing wave of anger over how Chinese authorities have handled the outbreak.Images of medical staff making protective equipment out of rubbish bags, sleeping in hospitals, and crying in frustration and exhaustion have dominated Chinese social media over the last two weeks, inspiring an outpouring of sympathy and donations of supplies. Continue reading...
‘Happy Brexit Day’ sign at Norwich flats said foreign tongues would not be toleratedThe distribution of “Brexit day†posters that warned residents of a block of flats to speak only English is being investigated as a racially aggravated incident, police have said.The printed posters, with the title “Happy Brexit Dayâ€, were stuck to doors on all 15 floors of Winchester Tower in Norwich on Friday morning, the day the UK formally left the European Union. Continue reading...
They’re up before dawn to track traffic on the busy strait – and their sightings of warships can help to predict Russian strategy. The Observer meets ‘a nerdy little community’The Bosphorus, the magnificent strait dividing Istanbul in two, is named after Io, a mortal lover of the god Zeus, who was cursed by his wife Hera to wander the earth in the form of a white heifer: the name comes from the Greek boûs, cow, and poros, passage.Io may have been the first to cross the waterway dividing Europe from Asia, but she was certainly not the last. As the route from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the Bosphorus offers enormous geopolitical power to whoever controls it. The city of Constantinople was founded on either side of its shores, successively the seat of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Today, the Bosphorus breathes calmly and quietly beneath the hills of modern Istanbul, but its waters are still full of international intrigue. Continue reading...
Last year the CEO of McDonald’s lost his job over a consensual affair. Has the workplace crush had its day?Jenny had been living in Hong Kong for a couple of weeks when she fell “head over heels†in love with Christine, the creative director of a small fashion company. But there was a problem: Christine already had a girlfriend. And another problem: Christine was interviewing Jenny for a job at the company at the time. “The first thing she did when she came in was to sit in her chair and say to me: ‘So you’re the English girl,’†Jenny recalls. “She was very direct – it wasn’t something I was used to. It felt strong.â€Jenny, whose parents are from Hong Kong, had decided to move there after graduating from university in 2018, to learn more about her culture. She was 22, and describes herself as extremely shy. She applied for a series of positions at creative companies, but Christine’s firm was the first to invite her for an interview; Jenny landed an entry-level position, reporting directly to Christine. Her new boss wasn’t like anyone she’d met before. She was powerful and direct in business meetings, but playful, disarming, even confessional one-to-one. She worked out and channelled a masculine, minimalist style: white shirts, blazers, black turtlenecks. She seemed to take a special interest in the English girl. Continue reading...
Build-up of contaminated water from wrecked nuclear plant has been sticking point in clean-up likely to take decadesA panel of experts advising Japan’s government on a disposal method for radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant has recommended releasing it into the ocean, a move likely to alarm neighbouring countries.Related: Fukushima fishermen concerned for future over release of radioactive water Continue reading...
As some take to the streets to celebrate leaving the EU, others mourn the loss of an old friendHow does a nation say goodbye to its neighbours? With a lump in its throat and a poignant song of farewell – or with cheers and a raised middle finger of defiant good riddance? The answer that Britain gave at 11pm on Friday 31 January 2020 was: both. The UK broke from the European Union on a late winter’s night with both jubilation and regret, as divided on the day of leaving as it had been in deciding to leave. For some Britons, this was Independence Day. For others, it was a national bereavement.In Westminster, Nigel Farage exulted with his fellow Brexiters in Parliament Square, delighted that a prize they had sought for a quarter century, and that once seemed laughably improbable, was in their hands at last. “We did it,†he told the ecstatic crowd. “We transformed the landscape of our country.†At the stroke of 11pm, he led a chorus of the national anthem. Continue reading...
The union flag has been removed from the esplanade outside the European parliament building, where the flags of all member states are displayed. It was replaced by the EU flag featuring a circle of 12 yellow stars. Britain will become the first country to leave the European Union at 11pm on Friday, after 47 years as a member
The boys, then 14 and 15, had bought the drug with bitcoin and sold it to Hannah BraggTwo teenage boys from a rural community in Devon bought illegal drugs from the dark web and sold them to children, including a 15-year-old girl who died after taking ecstasy.The pair, aged 14 and 15, purchased the drugs using the cryptocurrency bitcoin and passed them on to children as young as 12. Continue reading...
Prime minister tells 10-year-old interviewer ‘the only thing to do is keep digging’Boris Johnson may have given his strongest hint yet that he intends for HS2 to go ahead after telling a 10-year-old interviewer that the way forward was to “keep diggingâ€.His comment came as he was quizzed as part of a children’s news programme for Sky. Continue reading...
The musician has promised music and videos to her Patreon supporters, and the possibility of recipes and dating adviceMIA has launched a crowdfunding page to support her future work – which may encompass therapy sessions, dating advice and recipes in addition to the music for which she is best known.MIA, AKA Maya Arulpragasam, said that she had joined the site Patreon because her work was too broad to fit on other sites. “I’ve tried all the other platforms and it’s like: this one is too mean and hateful, this one is too fake and self-obsessed and this one just sells all your data to Cambridge Analytica. Hopefully, this one is going to be just right.†Continue reading...
Minister says barrier would send message to smugglers that ‘rules of the game have changed’The Greek government has defended plans to erect a floating barrier in the Mediterranean to deter thousands of people determined to reach Europe from making the sea journey from Turkey.Dismissing criticism, the country’s minister for migration and asylum, Notis Mitarakis, said the proposed barrier would send a strong message to people smugglers that the “rules of the game had changedâ€. Continue reading...
From the outside, Leo Varadkar may seem like a leader on the crest of a wave, but as elections loom the tide is turning against himLeo Varadkar, youthful leader, elegant dresser, liberal lion, responsible economic steward, banisher of Brexit clouds – what’s not to love? That, at least, is how many outsiders view Ireland’s taoiseach.“Leo, Leo, Leo! We love you!†trilled some Chinese tourists who recently encountered him on Dublin’s Grafton Street, as he canvassed with Fine Gael party colleagues for votes in the 8 February general election. Continue reading...
Marie McCourt lodges papers requesting judicial review into release of Ian SimmsThe mother of a 22-year-old woman who was murdered as she walked home from work has begun legal proceedings to prevent the release of her killer.Ian Simms was convicted of killing the insurance clerk Helen McCourt, who disappeared in Merseyside in 1988. Continue reading...
Khalid Mollah died while working among the thousands who dismantle old ships in Chittagong. Now, in a test case that could transform the industry, his widow is suing the firm that sold the vessel for scrapKhalid Mollah was uneducated, illiterate and out of work when, in early 2009, he left his pregnant wife Hamida Begum to take the 200-mile bus ride to Chittagong from the small village of Gopai, in northern Bangladesh. The young man’s destination was Sitakunda, the notorious, 20km stretch of wide beach and tidal mudflats just north of Bangladesh’s fast-growing second city.Here, nearly 25,000 people work in dozens of ship-breaking yards, steel-rolling mills and factories to recover and sell on every bit of plate metal, deck, mast, funnel, hatch, gangplank, wire, nut, cable, bolt, wood and rivet that makes up the world’s giant ships. Continue reading...
Hard though it is to accept, as patriots we must wish Brexit a (partial) successBritain has not left Europe; it has just stepped into another room. Its European role has always been complex and ambivalent. “The desire for isolation, the knowledge that it is impossible – these are the two poles between which the needle of the British compass continues to waver.†The words of the historian RW Seton-Watson in a history of Britain in Europe published in 1937. True then, even more true now.We ex-remainers have consistently argued that Brexit will leave the UK weaker, poorer, more divided, less influential, less attractive to the rest of the world. Some evidence is already in. According to Bloomberg Economics, by the end of this year Brexit will have cost Britain some £200bn in lost economic growth – nearly as much (adjusted for inflation) as the country has paid in to the EU budget over the entire period of its membership since 1973. Continue reading...
After an indifferent sojourn in Hollywood, the film-maker went back to South Korea do his next film – and produced an undisputed masterpiece. Why is his stunning critique of the class system striking chords all over the world?The past year has been a whirlwind for Bong Joon-ho, and he is still in the midst of it. His movie Parasite has whisked him to places few directors – and certainly no South Korean director – have been before. It started with winning the top prize at the Cannes film festival last May, and the momentum has not let up: critical adulation, box office success, US talkshow appearances and a ridiculous 170 awards and counting.And not just not just awards in the “foreign film†categories; Parasite is the first foreign-language film to win the Screen Actors Guild’s coveted ensemble performance award. It is also up for six Oscars, including best picture and best director. Before, it was only connoisseurs who appreciated Bong’s singular output – including Donald Glover, Edgar Wright, Guillermo del Toro and Quentin Tarantino. Now there’s a whole online “#BongHive†sharing memes, news and general love about the 50-year-old film-maker. He’s this season’s must-have selfie for Hollywood stars to brandish on Twitter. Even Bong’s ever-present translator, Sharon Choi, has become a minor celebrity. Continue reading...
Exclusive: US president will insist NHS pays higher price for drugs, says Kim Darroch‘Irony is we got things right by 2015’ – Britain’s EU envoys on BrexitDonald Trump will put the interests of corporate America first and demand that the NHS pays higher prices for US drugs in a free-trade deal with the UK, the outgoing British ambassador to Washington has told the Guardian.Kim Darroch, in his first interview since his resignation from his post in July, from where he spearheaded attempts to grow trade with the US, insisted that Trump would reward his backers in drug firms and farming communities by opening up British markets, while questioning where the UK’s gains would be found. Continue reading...
Controversial rightwing commentator locked out of the social media site after complaints from anti-racism campaignersThe controversial rightwing commentator Katie Hopkins has had her Twitter account suspended for violating the terms of the social media site.Hopkins’ account was still visible online on Thursday night, but Twitter said that Hopkins had been temporarily locked out of the platform for violating its anti-hate policy. Continue reading...
Several incidents of xenophobia reported, along with long queues to buy face masksChinese people in Italy have been the target of racist abuse as paranoia mounts over the spread of the deadly coronavirus.A number of people in the country have been tested for the virus in recent days and the results have so far been negative. Tests were carried out on Thursday on two passengers onboard a cruise ship in the port city of Civitavecchia. Continue reading...
Exclusive video: late U-turn from Chinese authorities meant that Matt Raw and his 75-year-old mother Hazel were given permission to fly along with Raw’s wife Ying, who holds a Chinese passport. Previously, restrictions imposed by China meant those with Chinese passports were not permitted to leave the country, and China does not recognise dual nationality.
Boris Johnson to mark moment of departure with message promising to unite countryBoris Johnson will say on Friday that Brexit signals “the dawn of a new era†as his government prepares for a low-key celebration at the moment of departure.The prime minister is expected to mark the moment at 11pm with a pre-recorded video message promising to bring the country together and seek to eradicate inequalities between regions. Continue reading...
The World Health Organization director general on Thursday declared the novel coronavirus a global health emergency but stressed that it was 'not a vote of no confidence in China'. Tedros Adhanom said that the declaration comes amid concern for countries with weaker health systems
Friday: Death toll now at 170 with more than 7,700 cases. Plus, scientists ask Australians to document habitat and wildlife recovery from bushfiresGood morning, this is Richard Parkin bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Friday 31 January. Continue reading...
Transport secretary tells MPs they ‘won’t have to wait long’ amid continuing oppositionSpeculation that a decision on HS2 will be made early next week is mounting as the prime minister and key figures are understood to have held final talks on the controversial project.The chancellor, Sajid Javid, who has publicly swung behind the scheme, and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, are believed to have met Boris Johnson as the high-speed line continues to divide opinion among backbenchers. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#4YNY8)
More than 350,000 UK citizens have opted to apply for post-Brexit insurance policy since 2016The number of British citizens who have applied to acquire the nationality of another EU member state has surged since the Brexit referendum, data shows.Since 2016 more than 350,000 UK citizens have opted to apply for the post-Brexit insurance policy, with some even forfeiting their British passport to retain their EU rights after Brexit. Continue reading...
The north African country’s population have suffered years of turmoil, fuelled by the meddling of outside players. The civil war may yet escalateLet’s all be good. This was, in essence, the conclusion of the conference in Berlin this month which aimed to at least begin the work of ending a war which has cost thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Libya. Participants agreed that foreign meddling should cease and that everyone should abide by the UN arms embargo.Despite the desperate need for peace, there was good reason to be cynical. The host, Angela Merkel, argued publicly with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, over what had actually been agreed. Fighting soon raged again. The UN refugee agency announced on Thursday that it is suspending all operations at a facility in Tripoli and moving refugees from the site, fearing for their safety and that of its staff and partners amid worsening conflict. The UN says that several participants in the Berlin meeting have since shipped both arms and mercenaries to Libya, blatantly violating the embargo. Continue reading...
On the eve of Brexit, readers reflect on the UK’s departure from the European UnionBrexit day will be an incredibly sad occasion. The loss of the many economic, social and environmental benefits that membership of the largest single market in the world brings will leave us all the poorer in so many ways. Benefits associated with the free movement of goods, capital, services and people across the EU have been immense. Exiting is such a needless act of self-destruction, hitting the poorest hardest. It is a move I predict we will go on to regret.Pro-EU events being held on Friday do, however, afford us the opportunity to celebrate the benefits that membership has brought – peace, stability and prosperity. The EU flag will also still fly outside the Scottish parliament. Continue reading...
Michael Meadowcroft says the US should end its multibillion-dollar annual subsidy to Israel, Chris Doyle says the plan announced this week will make the post-1967 occupation permanent, and Saville Kushner proposes a single-state solutionQuite apart from its gross offence to justice and basic humanity, the striking point about the Trump-Netanyahu plan is its complete lack of reality in relation to the situation in the Middle East (‘Occupation normalised’: Trump plan ticks every box on the Israeli wishlist, 29 January). Does the Israeli government believe for a moment that if the situation was reversed it would quietly accept Palestinian domination over its people’s lives?If Israeli citizens were constrained behind a wall, were forced to use separate roads, had land confiscated for Palestinian housing, had draconian rules on movement and had the Hebrew language treated as inferior, they would take every possible form of action against their oppressors, and they would be right to do so. Once again Israel makes the argument that these measures are for its security, but this is perverse: every action to constrain Palestinian life provokes increasing action against Israel. Israel will never be at peace with its neighbours while it represses them. If Trump really wants to help Israel’s security, there is one simple way: to end the almost £3bn paid annually by the US to Israel, mainly to support its military. This would force Israel’s government to come to the table and to discuss a genuinely fair and equitable settlement between the two neighbours.
Defence ministry says floating barrier will stop migrants crossing from TurkeyThe Greek government has been criticised after announcing it will build a floating barrier to deter thousands of people from making often perilous sea journeys from Turkey to Aegean islands on Europe’s periphery.The centre-right administration unveiled the measure on Thursday, following its pledge to take a tougher stance on undocumented migrants accessing the country. Continue reading...
More than 6,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members have been stopped from disembarking the Costa Smeralda ship over fears a woman onboard could have coronavirus. Footage shows passengers onboard the ship, which is docked at the Italian port city of Civitavecchia while tests are carried out
by Reported by Leanne Jorari and presented by Laura M on (#4YNKS)
Last year the small Pacific island of Bougainville, a self-governed part of Papua New Guinea, held a referendum on whether it should become an independent country. In this episode of Full Story, Leanne Jorari looks at the long and sometimes violent journey to this historic vote, and where to now for BougainvilleYou can read this explainer on Bougainville’s referendum by Pacific editor Kate Lyons. Leanne Jorari also reported on the lead up to the referendum, and the day of the vote. Continue reading...
The chancellor is set to support the controversial rail project at a meeting with Boris Johnson and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps3.00pm GMTThe Times Scotland’s political editor has been tweeting out results of their new YouGov polling, which shows a lead for Scottish independence of 51%. The majority in favour of independence will boost the SNP as Nicola Sturgeon prepares to set out her next steps towards another referendum tomorrow, after Boris Johnson refused her request for the powers to hold a legal referendum earlier this month.EXC: New @YouGov poll puts Yes in lead on #indyref. Margin of 51-49, first time Yes has led since 2015.
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#4YNE0)
Lawyers for bereaved and survivors say companies ‘all have blood on their hands’The companies who worked on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment killed 72 people “as sure as if they had taken careful aim with a gun and pulled the triggerâ€, the public inquiry into the disaster has been told by lawyers for the bereaved and survivors.After three days of submissions from the corporates which the inquiry’s lead counsel described as a “merry-go-round of buck-passingâ€, the survivors said on Thursday they were “genuinely shocked at corporates seeking to defend the indefensibleâ€, adding “all have blood on their handsâ€. Continue reading...