Boyband member RM told award ceremony they would always remember sacrifices of US and South Korea in warK-pop phenomenon BTS is facing a barrage of criticism in China after the South Korean boyband cited their country’s solidarity with the US stemming from the Korean war.The band’s leader, RM, sparked outrage on social media in China when he cited the “history of pain” shared between South Korea and the US, who fought alongside each other in the 1950-53 conflict. Continue reading...
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Manoj Chaurasia on (#5923R)
Charities warn that seven months of the pandemic has set the country back decades on child exploitationOver 70 children were crammed into a bus, heading from Bihar to a sweatshop in the Indian city of Rajasthan, when the authorities pulled it over. Among the faces half hidden behind colourful masks was 12-year-old Deepak Kumar.Before the coronavirus pandemic, Kumar had been enrolled in grade four at the school in his small district of Gaya in the impoverished Indian state of Bihar. But when Covid-19 hit and the country went into lockdown, the school gates shut across India and have not opened since. With his parents, both daily wage labourers, unable to make money and put food on the table, last month Kumar was sent out to find work. Continue reading...
The former AFL boss admitted he read from notes when giving evidence about potential money laundering at Crown, but denied other evidence was based on notesCrown Resorts director and former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has been accused of being dishonest in evidence he has given to an inquiry into the casino empire after denying reading from notes despite video evidence suggesting he was doing so.Demetriou has admitted that he had written notes in front of him when giving evidence on Monday, and reading from the notes when he gave an answer about potential money laundering at Crown. Continue reading...
Māori remain at the bottom rung for most outcomes, including health, education, and housing – we need politicians who will fight for changeAs New Zealanders head to the voting booths this week, the chance of a comeback for the only Indigenous-focused Māori party are hanging by a thread.In 2017, Te Ururoa Flavell, who had been minister of Māori development for three years, lost his seat in the general elections, which saw him and the Māori party exit parliament stage right. Continue reading...
Paul Milgrom could not be roused in the middle of the night when news broke, so his fellow winner, Bob Wilson, had to go and wake him upWhen the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Monday that the American economists Paul Milgrom and Bob Wilson had won the Nobel prize for economics, both men were fast asleep in their beds in Stanford, California.Eventually the committee managed to get hold of Wilson to tell him the news. But Milgrom was asleep and nobody could contact him. So it was up to Wilson – who happens to be Milgrom’s neighbour – to go to the home of his former student in his pyjamas to relate the happy tidings, that he had won the prize worth US$1m. Continue reading...
Gennady Kazakevich accuses protesters of anarchy and threatens use of ‘lethal weapons’Security forces in Belarus could fire on protesters if they deem it necessary, a minister has warned, as EU foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions personally targeting President Alexander Lukashenko.Gennady Kazakevich, the first deputy interior minister, said in a video statement: “We will not leave the streets, and law enforcement officers and internal troops if necessary will use riot control equipment and lethal weapons.” Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent on (#5920C)
Opposition leader, who has been on the brink of power several times, claims to have enough support to lead, but doubts persistMalaysia’s opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, will at last be granted an audience with the king on Tuesday, a meeting his supporters hope could lead to the culmination of his decades-long quest to lead the country.Anwar stated last month that he had majority support from lawmakers required to form a new government, but an earlier meeting was postponed because the king was in poor health. Continue reading...
Japanese tourist waited almost seven months to enter Inca citadel while trapped in country during coronavirus pandemicPeru has opened the ruins of Machu Picchu for a single Japanese tourist after he waited almost seven months to enter the Inca citadel, while trapped in the Andean country during the coronavirus outbreak.Jesse Takayama’s entry into the ruins came thanks to a special request he submitted while stranded since mid-March in the town of Aguas Calientes, on the slopes of the mountains near the site, said the minister of culture, Alejandro Neyra, on Monday. Continue reading...
Tuesday: Could Gladys Berejiklian become the third premier of NSW unseated by Icac? Plus: women hurt most by Covid recessionGood morning, this is Tamara Howie bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Tuesday 13 October. Continue reading...
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent on (#591SQ)
Move comes after nationwide demonstrations sparked by series of sexual assaultsBangladesh will introduce the death penalty for rape cases, after several high-profile sexual assaults prompted a wave of protests across the country in recent weeks.Speaking to reporters on Monday, cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam confirmed that the cabinet had approved a bill ruling that anyone convicted of rape would be punished with death or “rigorous imprisonment” for life. Continue reading...
by Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington on (#591TW)
As far as polling booth drama goes, Aotearoa’s election has so far yielded none – but early voters are quite keen on the fragrant hand sanitiserThey arrive carrying their own pens. They stop for a dollop of pleasantly lemon-scented hand sanitiser as they enter and exit polling places. And they are turning up to vote ahead of election day in record numbers.As far as polling booth drama goes, New Zealand’s election has so far yielded none: just the calm, orderly process of 1.15 million people casting early votes – nearly double the number who had voted by this time in advance of the 2017 election. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#591SR)
Diners paid up to £360 to eat onboard in latest sign of public appetite for aircraft experienceDiners have rushed to pay up to £360 per head to eat a meal on a stationary plane, in the latest sign of public appetite to recreate the onboard experience without travelling.Singapore Airlines launched a waiting list after tickets rapidly sold out for two weekends of sittings onboard two stationary A380 superjumbos, with meals at seats and the chance to watch a movie, albeit no longer in-flight. Continue reading...
Family of Alexandra Greenway say she was passed ‘pillar to post’ and not given psychiatric supportThe family of a transgender woman who was found dead at her flat in Bristol have said at her inquest that she was passed from “pillar to post” in her efforts to seek help for her mental illness.Alexandra Greenway’s relatives told the inquest the 23-year-old recruitment consultant did not receive the psychiatric support she required before her death on 11 May last year. Continue reading...
Exclusive: global scholars on China call for agreement to resist interference in researchSome of the world’s leading scholars on China have called for a united international front in defence of university freedoms, amid claims of an increased Chinese threat to academic inquiry since the passing of Hong Kong’s national security law.Individual universities will be picked off unless there is a common agreement to resist Chinese state interference in academic research and teaching on China, a group of 100 academics including scholars in the US, UK, Australia and Germany say. Continue reading...
Carlo Acutis helped spread Catholic teaching online before his death aged 15 in 2006Pope Francis said the beatification of an Italian computer whiz-kid was a sign to young people that “true happiness comes from putting God first”.Carlo Acutis, who is on a path to sainthood after being beatified in the Umbrian town of Assisi, helped spread Roman Catholic teaching online before his death from leukaemia aged 15 in 2006. He is the youngest contemporary person to be beatified. Continue reading...
Culture secretary distanced himself from widely mocked poster amid job losses in artsA government-backed advert that encouraged people working in the arts to reskill by turning to a career in cybersecurity has been scrapped after the culture secretary described it as “crass”.
Instead of pursuing cruel and unethical means of controlling immigration, the Home Office must focus on providing safe and legal routes to the UK, write Jewish campaigners for racial equality, while Richard Hargreaves describes Priti Patel’s proposals as indefensibleRecently Jewish people marked the start of Sukkot, a Jewish festival rooted in concepts of sanctuary and shelter. We have been disturbed at this time to read reports of deeply unethical Home Office plans for offshore asylum processing, and other measures that would cruelly create barriers to those seeking refuge in this country (Home Office may use nets to stop migrant boats crossing Channel, 11 October).Priti Patel was correct to acknowledge in her conference speech that the UK’s asylum system is broken, and that current delays to asylum applications are unacceptable. The present reality reveals the vital need for fairness and compassion. Asylum seekers fleeing to the UK from conflict and war have found themselves housed in army barracks on arrival. Continue reading...
by Owen Bowcott Legal affairs correspondent on (#591KW)
Alleged victims have had ‘justice denied’, barrister tells inquiry into child sexual abuseA “culture of deference” may have obstructed investigations into the late Lord Janner, a barrister representing more than a dozen of his alleged victims has told the child sexual abuse inquiry.Addressing the opening session of an inquiry into how the authorities dealt with multiple complaints about the former Labour MP and peer, the barrister Nick Stanage regretted that for his clients, “justice delayed” had been “justice denied”. Continue reading...
Fears for climbers who may have been in area of fire on slopes of Africa’s tallest mountain near Tanzanian border with KenyaA huge fire has broken on Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak and a key attraction for tourists in Kenya and Tanzania.According to Tanzanian national park authorities, the fire broke out on Sunday afternoon and is yet to be contained. Continue reading...
A pair of new compilations trace the roots of reggae’s sublime songcraft back to the influence of 1950s crooners, with their close harmonies and swooning romanceIn late 1961, a young teenager called James Chambers turned up unannounced at Beverley’s restaurant and ice cream parlour on Orange Street in Kingston, Jamaica. In search of a sponsor, he told the owners, three Chinese-Jamaican brothers, that he had written a song for them. His audacity paid off and a few months later, Dearest Beverley was released as the B-side of a more topical and upbeat song called Hurricane Hattie, which became the first hit for the newly formed Beverley’s Records.The single was produced by the label’s owner, Leslie Kong, one of the brothers for whom Chambers had auditioned. Kong would go on to produce a series of classic early reggae songs like 007 (Shanty Town) by Desmond Dekker and Monkey Man by the Maytals; by the time Dearest Beverley was released, James Chambers had turned 14 and was calling himself Jimmy Cliff, soon to be one of reggae’s biggest stars. Continue reading...
Muhammadu Buhari has given a speech after the Nigerian government dissolved a controversial police unit alleged to have carried out extrajudicial killings. The announcement came after days of protests against police brutality. Outrage had been fuelled over the last week by the emergence online of graphic footage and shared experiences of abuses by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, commonly called Sars Continue reading...
The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, became emotional during a speech at a military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' party. Kim removed his glasses and wiped away tears in an indication, analysts say, of mounting pressure on his regime. He said his 'efforts and devotion' had not been enough to help all North Koreans
Ahmed Fadol Adam was with Abdulfatah Hamdallah when dinghy capsized in ChannelThe survivor who was with Abdulfatah Hamdallah, the Sudanese refugee who drowned in the Channel in August, has made it safely to the UK after taking the same route.Ahmed Fadol Adam, 21, who said he spent five years enslaved in Libya, travelled with 11 other Sudanese refugees and one Chadian on an inflatable dinghy on 29 September. It was his fifth attempt to reach the UK. Continue reading...
Danish film-maker Mads Brügger’s latest documentary is an absurdly brave look at Kim Jong-un’s regime that has all the intrigue of a spy thrillerPhysically, Ulrich Larsen doesn’t stand out. Polite, unassuming, his unmemorable 44-year-old face is how I imagine an efit template might be, what you start with before you add distinguishing features. You get to decide who he is. Perfect for blending in. Or infiltrating the world’s most secretive regime perhaps, which, as it happens, is what he did. Larsen is “the Mole”.Jim Latrache-Qvortrup is the opposite. Forty-eight, big, bold, bearded, inked, with an expensive-looking set of teeth and an explosive laugh. Ex-military? Better still, he joined the French Foreign Legion at 19. Crime? Tick; he spent eight years in jail for drug dealing. International arms dealer, buying stinger missiles from North Korea for anyone who will have them? Actually no, but he does a very good job of pretending to be one, hardly has to act at all in fact. Latrache-Qvortrup is “Mr James”. Continue reading...
Eldercare advocates argue that facilities have allowed asymptomatic staff members with Covid-19 in, but kept loved ones outMartha Marie Duncan was as bright as the blue Texas sky of the Rio Grande Valley where she was born, and when she was young, she styled her hair to just about touch it. She was clever, fashionable, and determined to climb the corporate ladder.She worked her way up to become vice president of one of America’s largest advertising firms, and bought a dark red Porsche and mauve Pendleton suits along the way. Continue reading...
Carrie Lam to consult Beijing in attempt to protect city’s status as international finance hubHong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, has postponed a key annual policy address scheduled for Wednesday, claiming she must consult Beijing on some of her proposals.The unprecedented delay to the speech was also attributed to plans by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, to visit Shenzhen to mark the 40th anniversary of the special economic zone on Wednesday, which was announced only on Monday and which Lam would also attend. Continue reading...
Single migrant women left destitute by Covid can’t leave until they have served sentences for sex outside marriage – but virus restrictions mean prisons won’t accept themWhen Reyna* took a taxi to Al-Awir prison in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, she was hoping to turn herself in and be admitted as an inmate. The former domestic worker from the Philippines had brought her three-month-old son along with her.Reyna lost her job during the pandemic; she can no longer pay for their rent or food and wants to return to her homeland. But in order to be permitted to leave the UAE she must first serve a jail sentence for having sex outside marriage, which is illegal under the country’s Islamic laws. Continue reading...
NSW premier is under pressure to resign after disclosing secret relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl MaguireThe New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has admitted she “stuffed up” in her personal life, but has stared down calls to resign following extraordinary revelations she had for years maintained a secret “close personal relationship” with the disgraced former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.In a press conference following her explosive appearance before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Monday, Berejiklian declared she had not considered resigning “because I haven’t done anything wrong”. Continue reading...
Shenzhen residents can win one of 50,000 ‘red packets’ to spend in local shopsAuthorities in the Chinese city Shenzhen have begun giving away more than 10m yuan ($1.49m) in a citizens lottery, as part of trials of a new digital currency.Almost 2 million people applied to be one of 50,000 randomly selected citizens receiving a “red packet” valued at 200 yuan (about US$30) on Sunday, to spend at 3,800 designated outlets in the district of Luohu. Participants must download the official digital Renminbi app, which is not yet publicly available, to receive the currency for purchases within the next week. Continue reading...
by Christopher Knaus (now) and Michael McGowan (earli on (#5914H)
NSW premier earlier denied at an Icac hearing knowing about improper conduct by the former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire, despite being in a ‘close personal relationship’. Follow live
Lack of specialist support and growing unemployment are factors in growing mental health crisis, doctors sayOne Tuesday morning in March, 48-year-old farmer Lokoliyo Bwanali set off for his maize plot. He never came back. Neighbours discovered his body later in the small field where he had poisoned himself.“The wife of the deceased said her late husband was under pressure from creditors and was failing to settle his debts,” said Edward Kabango, from Malawi’s Dedza district police department. “The deceased left his home without explaining to his family members where he was heading until he was later found lying dead in a field, a kilometre from his home.” Continue reading...
Thomas Morel-Fort went undercover to capture the lives of undocumented workers toiling inside the Paris and Côte d’Azur homes of the wealthyAt first glance, French photographer Thomas Morel-Fort’s work has all the trappings of a modern-day fairytale: princesses in lavish Parisian mansions; holidays in hilltop villas on the Côte d’Azur; promises of wealth and prosperity.But his photographs reveal a grittier reality. Morel-Fort’s lens instead alights on the unseen Cinderellas, the Filipino women hired to cook, clean, iron, babysit and obey any commands that come their way, completely beholden to the whims of their demanding, powerful employers. Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies on (#5915K)
Analysts say emotional speech suggests Kim is feeling pressures on his leadership linked to Covid and nuclear sanctionsThe North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, shed tears as he issued a rare apology for his failure to guide the country through tumultuous times exacerbated by the coronavirus outbreak.Speaking at a huge military parade held at the weekend to mark the 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ party, Kim removed his glasses and wiped away tears – an indication, analysts say, of mounting pressure on his regime. Continue reading...
Inquiry to examine whether late MP received deferential treatment from police, CPS, council and Labour partyThree weeks of partially closed hearings into the way police, prosecutors, local government and the Labour party dealt with child sexual abuse allegations involving the late Lord Janner will start on Monday.In order to protect the identities of those who allege they were assaulted by the former Leicester West MP, most of the evidence sessions will not be live-streamed to the public. Continue reading...