Michael White was detained in 2018 and sentenced 10 years on charges of insulting the supreme leader and posting a private photoA US navy veteran detained in Iran for nearly two years flew out on Thursday, a day after an Iranian scientist held by US authorities returned home.“I am blessed to announce that the nightmare is over, and my son is safely on his way home,” Michael White’s mother, Joanne White, said in a statement. Continue reading...
Based on true stories, Rubaiyat Hossain’s Made in Bangladesh challenges stereotypes while revealing the relentless pressure of fashion’s supply chainRubaiyat Hossain’s latest film, Made in Bangladesh, opens with a scene of pure, visceral panic: young garment workers trapped in a burning factory. Alarms blare, women scream and smoke fills the stairwells.“A fire or a building collapse is every garment worker’s greatest fear,” says Hossain. When filming the scene, the women seen desperately running for their lives didn’t need much direction. Continue reading...
Several accounts reactivated after protests with social media giant blaming ‘technical error’The Facebook accounts of several high-profile bloggers and activists in Tunisia were among those deactivated without warning over the weekend.Up to 60 accounts are understood to have been deactivated, including that of journalist and political commentator Haythem El Mekki. Continue reading...
Michael Clauss says talks will be a focus from September and UK needs more realistic approachBritain must give away some sovereignty to secure free trade with the EU but Europe’s leaders will intervene in the negotiations in the autumn with the aim of sealing a compromise deal at a summit on 15 October, Germany’s ambassador in Brussels has said.Michael Clauss, whose country will take over the rolling presidency of the EU for the second half of the year, said there had been “no real progress” in the talks so far but predicted they would become the EU’s main political focus in September and October. Continue reading...
The girls, 15 and 16, have been charged with the murder, robbery, deprivation of liberty and torture of Cian EnglishTwo teenage girls allegedly filmed and egged on the brutal assault and torture of two men in a Gold Coast apartment before a Brisbane teen plunged to his death trying to escape.The girls, aged 15 and 16 from Coomera, were charged on Thursday with the murder, robbery, deprivation of liberty and torture of Cian English, 19, in Surfers Paradise on 23 May. Continue reading...
In a video for a virtual graduation ceremony at her old high school in LA, the Duchess of Sussex recalled words of advice given by a teacher when she was 15, who said to her: 'Always remember to put another’s needs above your fears.' She told the graduating students: 'I am sorry that in a way we have not gotten the world to a place that you deserve it to be'
by Luke Henriques-Gomes (now) and Amy Remeikis (earli on (#549DZ)
Federal government unveils homebuilder stimulus as Covid-19 commissioner Nev Power appears at Senate inquiry. Follow all today’s news• Qantas and Jetstar to scale up flights in June and July
Photographer died after ritual involving toad venom in Spanish town in 2019Spanish police have arrested three people, including a well known pornographic actor, in connection with the death of a photographer who is thought to have died after inhaling toad venom during a shamanic ceremony.The Guardia Civil did not name those detained, but the fatal ceremony, which took place in the Valencian town of Enguera in July 2019, allegedly involved the Spanish porn actor Nacho Vidal, and resulted in the death of a fashion photographer, José Luis Abad. Continue reading...
Shooting of Lamin Sisay, son of former UN diplomat, last week prompts outrage as family and friends reject police version of eventsThe Gambia has demanded the US investigate the police killing one of its citizens, a former UN diplomat’s son.The shooting of Lamin Sisay, 39, in Atlanta last week prompted anger in the Gambian community, who have described it as another example of the police brutality against black Americans that has prompted country-wide protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan Middle East correspondent on (#548KF)
Nabil Hasan al-Quaety, who worked for AFP among others, targeted in his car in AdenA Yemeni journalist has been shot dead in the southern city of Aden in an incident that is likely to inflame tensions between the government and secessionists seeking independence for the south.Nabil Hasan al-Quaety, a 34-year-old photographer and video journalist who worked for news organisations including Agence France-Presse, was shot in his car shortly after leaving his home on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...
Researchers hope the data will help identify any places where physical distancing may be an issueResearchers hope the addition of Facebook de-identified movement data will give a better overview of people slowly returning to their regular travels as we emerge from the coronavirus lockdown period, and help identify any potential places where physical distancing may be an issue.Several companies, including Google, Apple and Citymapper, make public de-identified data from their mapping and other location-based apps to track traffic flow across cities, states and countries. Continue reading...
When his sister Rahila was killed by a bomber, Hamid Rafi was inspired by her diaries to set up an education centre in her nameThe night before she died, Rahila Rafi felt too tired for homework; uncharacteristic for the studious 17-year-old. When her brother Hamid asked what was wrong, she told him she had a strange feeling in her heart and couldn’t bring herself to look at her books.Hamid kissed his sister’s forehead and asked her what she wanted to do after she passed the Kankor exam – Afghanistan’s standard university admissions test. Continue reading...
by Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor and Helen Davids on (#5481T)
UK prime minister says all eligible for BNO passport can apply if China cuts freedomsBoris Johnson has opened the path to what he called one of the “biggest changes” to the British visa system, stating he was ready to offer a right to live and work in the UK to any of the nearly 3 million Hong Kong citizens eligible for a British National Overseas passport.Ministers have been ambivalent since last Thursday on whether the UK government’s offer of an extendable 12-month visa would be available only to the 350,000 current BNO passport holders in Hong Kong, or would also include the more than 2.5 million eligible to apply for the passport. Continue reading...
Colourised images of a tanned and waistcoated author on show when museum reopensLooking healthily tanned, with a warm expression, and wearing a natty yellow, green and blue Clan Gordon tartan waistcoat, he is unmistakably Charles Dickens – but as we’ve never seen him before.The Charles Dickens Museum in London has created and released the first of a new set of colourised photographs of the writer in the run-up to the 150th anniversary of the author’s death. It is a taster of a major exhibition on images of Dickens that the museum will stage as soon as it is able to reopen after lockdown restrictions are relaxed further. Continue reading...
by Emmanuel Akinwotu West Africa correspondent and Ha on (#5484T)
Last week more than 70 died in violence fuelled by poverty, ethnic divisions and competition for landIn the morning, reassurance, in the evening, another mass killing.When the governor for Sokoto state in north-west Nigeria arrived in Sabon Birni, a district reeling from relentless killings by armed groups, he assured local officials that authorities were in control. Police reinforcements would arrive soon, he added. Continue reading...
Aircraft chief describes frustration at losing vital time while inquiry also told firefighter radios in different areas ‘largely incompatible’Pilots flying water-bombing aircraft are “consistently tasked too late for fires” and sit idle on the tarmac until conditions worsen, the royal commission into national natural disaster arrangements has been told.The inquiry also heard that the radio networks used by firefighting agencies in each jurisdiction are “largely incompatible” with each other and the lack of national coordination meant that resources were not always used effectively. Continue reading...
Greens want a full, independent review, saying the government has been ‘heartless and cruel throughout this entire process’The Greens have called for a royal commission into the botched robodebt scheme, amid growing demands for a judicial inquiry and an apology from the Morrison government.Rachel Siewert, a Greens senator and chair of a Senate inquiry into the scheme, said on Tuesday she saw no other way forward than a “royal commission ensuring a full, independent review of this program and a forensic audit of this mess”. Continue reading...
Secretary of state says he is considering immigration option similar to move announced last week by UKThe US is considering letting people who no longer “feel comfortable” in Hong Kong move to the US, secretary of state Mike Pompeo has suggested.The comments, made in a conversation with the American Enterprise Institute on Friday, come amid worsening relations between the two countries over China’s moves to impose national security laws on the semi-autonomous region. Continue reading...
Wiltshire police take man in his 30s into custody after death of two women in Lavistock areaA man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of two women at a house in Salisbury.Officers from Wiltshire police received a call from a member of the public at about 2.45pm on Monday after reports of a disturbance at a property on Wessex Road in the Lavistock area of the city. Continue reading...
Speakers highlight racism against Indigenous people and call on Ardern to denounce killingTens of thousands of New Zealanders have come out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, after the death of George Floyd in the US.At least four solidarity gatherings were held in the country on Monday afternoon, with massive crowds taking to their knees in the Auckland demonstration. Continue reading...
Aboriginal people whose family members have died in custody express solidarity with people on the streets of US cities protesting against the death of George FloydAustralia’s track record on deaths in custody is again under scrutiny, as Aboriginal people whose family members died in similar circumstances to George Floyd express solidarity with protestors on the streets of major US cities following the death of the unarmed black man.The family of 26-year-old David Dungay, a Dunghutti man who said “I can’t breathe” 12 times before he died while being restrained by five prison guards, said they have been traumatised anew by the footage of Floyd’s death. Continue reading...
Pakistan calls the allegations ‘baseless’ after two officials at high commission given 24 hours to leaveTwo officials at Pakistan’s high commission have been expelled for “espionage activities”, India’s foreign ministry said late on Sunday, allegations its nuclear-armed rival called “baseless”.The ministry said in a statement: “The government has declared both these officials persona non grata for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission.” Continue reading...
Monday: George Floyd’s brother says Trump called – but didn’t let him speak. Plus, how getting back to normal can be jarringGood morning, this is Emilie Gramenz bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 1 June. Continue reading...
What happens when your natural sleeping pattern is at odds with the rest of the world?For as long as she can remember, Jenny Carter has gone to bed late and not woken up until late the following morning, sometimes even the early afternoon. Growing up, she didn’t have a bedtime, and at university she preferred to write her essays between 6pm and 10pm. She loves evenings. They’re when she feels the most creative and can concentrate the best. But that’s not when her employer or society expects her to be productive.“Going to bed at a ‘normal’ time feels so unnatural to me,” she says. “But society just doesn’t cater for people whose sleep cycle doesn’t fit the generic 9 to 5.” She has got into trouble at work for her timekeeping, which has led to disciplinary action. “I’ve had to write off so many events, meetings and opportunities, because they were in the morning and I just knew I wouldn’t be awake.” Continue reading...
A new study shows that 60% of the world’s wars have lasted for at least a decade. From Afghanistan to Libya, Syria to Congo DRC, has endless conflict become normalised?
The president’s account is a 24/7 window into his psyche, with even his rage at having his posts factchecked expressed via tweetIt has been one of the greatest love affairs in American politics.Related: Twitter taking on Trump's lies? About time too | John Naughton Continue reading...
Shot in the chaotic last days of Robert Mugabe’s regime, Cook Off is a feel-good tale of resilience and hopeA Zimbabwean film about a woman who enters a TV cooking show and which cost only $8,000 to make has become the first feature from the country to make it onto Netflix.“Seeing myself on Netflix, I have to punch myself every day. Like, is that really me?” asked actress Tendaiishe Chitima, star of Cook Off, which has now been acquired by the streaming giant. Continue reading...
Plans to relocate Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta will still go aheadThe New South Wales government will walk away from its planned $810m redevelopment of the former Olympic stadium in Sydney as the state grapples with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.On Sunday the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, will announce that the state government will dump the stadium redevelopment, a key but controversial plank of its election pitch last year, instead announcing a $3bn fund for smaller, “shovel-ready projects”. Continue reading...
Will the pandemic, ridiculous house prices and a surge in working from home result in an exodus to Australia’s regions? Instagram and the data disagreeIt was bang in the middle of the pandemic and Elfy Scott lived “in a dank house” in Sydney’s inner west with housemates. “We were locked down and having to look at those same four mouldy walls,” she says.The lease was coming to an end, and Scott, 27, and her partner were planning their next move – to Bondi where rentals were about $600 to $700 a week. Continue reading...
Asked whether people in authority should obey the rules imposed in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said: ‘In my opinion the rules are clear and they have always been clear. In my opinion they are for the benefit of all. And in my opinion they apply to all.’
Residents of Surf Crescent in Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, felt earth ‘creaking’ beneath themResidents of a Kent village have been forced to flee their homes after part of a nearby cliff fell into the sea.
Kardashian family member reacts angrily to magazine’s claim she spun ‘a web of lies’A row has broken out between one of the world’s leading business magazines and the youngest member of reality TV’s most famous family over the value of her cosmetics company.Forbes magazine has accused Kylie Jenner, the youngest half-sister of Kim Kardashian West, of spinning a “web of lies” to inflate the size and success of her business. It claimed her family went to unusual lengths to present its youngest adult member as being richer than she was. Continue reading...
by Anita Hofschneider in Agat, photographs by Ken D'S on (#543H7)
There are now nearly 300 sexual abuse lawsuits against more than 20 priests on the deeply religious island in the western PacificRoosters crow in the distance as Walter Denton gestures toward a white one-storey concrete building behind a church in Agat, a village in southern Guam.“You know, just standing here, right behind you, that is where I was raped,” says Denton, 56. Continue reading...
French and Belgian officers arrest 26 people involved with network running from Vietnam to EuropeFrench and Belgian police believe they have smashed an international people-smuggling network involved in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants whose bodies were found in a refrigerated trailer in the UK last October.Officers have arrested 26 people in coordinated raids in several locations in the two countries after keeping the gang under surveillance for several months. Continue reading...
Philip Leach of the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre responds to a letter on the Azeri military officer and highlights recent findings of the European court of human rightsTahir Taghizade’s reference to the Ramil Safarov case needs correcting (Letters, 28 May). Mr Safarov, then a lieutenant in the Azerbaijani army, was convicted of the murder of Gurgen Margaryan and the attempted murder of Hayk Makuchyan (both Armenian officers) in Budapest in 2006. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the possibility of conditional release after 30 years.In 2012 he was transferred from Hungary to Azerbaijan, under the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons, to serve the rest of his sentence. Instead, he was immediately set free, pardoned by the president and promoted to major. Mr Margaryan’s family and Mr Makuchyan challenged this at the European court of human rights (represented by us). On Tuesday, the court found that these actions meant Mr Safarov had in effect been granted impunity for his crimes, breaching the right to life under the European convention on human rights. It found the actions were also discriminatory because the authorities’ “glorification of his extremely cruel hate crime … had a causal link to the Armenian ethnicity of his victims”.