by Vikram Dodd , Rajeev Syal, Harriet Sherwood on (#5S0MV)
Comment comes after home secretary claimed Liverpool attack suspect was able to exploit UK’s asylum systemThe country’s most senior counter-terrorism officer has said the vast majority of those plotting terrorist atrocities are British born or raised and not asylum seekers.The remarks from the Met police assistant commissioner Matt Jukes, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, come after Priti Patel claimed the suspect in the Liverpool bomb attack was able to exploit Britain’s “dysfunctional” asylum system to remain in the country. Continue reading...
Kyriakos Mitsotakis undeterred in Athens’ quest for classical sculptures after Johnson refuses to negotiateAthens has vowed to use “every means” in its quest to persuade London to relinquish the Parthenon sculptures, with a campaign that will focus on winning over the hearts and minds of Britons.Far from being discouraged by Boris Johnson’s refusal on Tuesday to engage in intergovernmental talks over the demand for the return of the 5thcentury BC artwork, the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, appeared to be buoyed by his visit to the UK. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd and Maya Wolfe-Robinson on (#5S0RS)
Vicar’s wife who knew Emad al-Swealmeen describes him as ‘kind’ and ‘gentle’Police investigating the Liverpool hospital explosion say the suspected bomber began his plot at least seven months ago as a vicar’s wife who knew the dead man described him as “kind” and “gentle”.Emad al-Swealmeen, 32, died after a homemade bomb police believe he had built and was carrying, exploded in a taxi outside Liverpool Women’s hospital. Police believe it is most likely he acted alone. Continue reading...
Arrest relates to alleged membership of Kurdistan Workers’ party, which is proscribed by Turkey and the westThe Syrian musician Omar Souleyman, who has performed at festivals around the world, has been arrested in Turkey on terrorism charges related to alleged membership of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK).The singer and DJ was taken into custody by officers who searched his home in the south-eastern province of Şanlıurfa, his son Muhammad told a Syrian news outlet on Wednesday. An official in the Şanlıurfa governor’s office confirmed the arrest to the Guardian. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Danish minister says proposal to ban bottom trawling in Dogger Bank ‘a very big problem’Denmark has accused the UK of breaching the post-Brexit fisheries deal over plans to ban destructive bottom trawling in a North Sea conservation zone.The UK announced in February that it wanted to ban bottom trawling at the Dogger Bank conservation zone in the North Sea, a move hailed by environmentalists hopeful of seeing a resurgence of halibut, sharks and skate in the once marine life rich sandbank. Continue reading...
The Queen held a face-to-face audience with Gen Sir Nick Carter, the chief of defence staff, as he prepares to step down from his role at the end of the month.The Queen was seen standing and smiling as she welcomed Carter to Windsor Castle Continue reading...
States and cities recommend residents older than 18 seek an additional shot six months after their initial immunizationAs Covid-19 cases in the US begin to rise once more and health agencies consider booster shots for all adults, some states and cities are taking matters into their own hands and urging additional shots, advice that goes beyond current federal guidelines.Leaders in Colorado, California, New Mexico, Arkansas, West Virginia, and New York City recommend that residents older than 18 seek an additional shot six months after their initial immunization. Continue reading...
Criminalisation means survivors are vulnerable to blackmail to avoid imprisonment and stigma, but there is hope the colonial-era legislation could soon be repealedIt was when the police knocked on Aatifa Farooqui’s* door and threatened to send her to prison that she first realised suicide was illegal in Pakistan.Farooqui’s father pleaded with the officers to be lenient, explaining that his daughter was just 19 and had made a mistake, but quickly realised the police had other motives for dropping by. Continue reading...
Diego y yo (1949) becomes most expensive Kahlo and Latin American work to go under the hammerA rare painting by Frida Kahlo has been sold at auction in New York for $34.9m, a record price for a work by the Mexican artist.At the same sale, a painting by the French artist Pierre Soulages broke a record for his work by reaching $20.2m. Continue reading...
by Rowena Mason Deputy political editor on (#5S0J7)
Anne-Marie Trevelyan says some outside work should be allowed, as long as it is not political consultancyMPs should still be allowed to work about 10 to 15 hours a week in second jobs as long as they are not offering political consultancy, a cabinet minister has said.The international trade secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, suggested the government could support new guidelines to put limits on the hours of outside work, as she gave a round of broadcast interviews on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
Local sites in Virginia published tens of thousands of conservative-skewed articles, many of them misleading or wrong, in the past 11 monthsRightwing operatives in the US are using a huge network of fake local news sites to target crucial state elections, with the sites publishing tens of thousands of conservative-skewed articles on politically charged subjects, many of them misleading or wrong, over the past 11 months.An investigation by Popular Information, an online newsletter founded by journalist Judd Legum, found that in Virginia 28 sites, each purporting to be local news outlets and all owned by the same company, published almost 5,000 articles about critical race theory in schools. Continue reading...
by Joe Parkin Daniels, photographs by Luca Zanetti on (#5S0KG)
In Colombia’s eastern flood plains, a group from the dry northern states of Chihuahua and Tamaulipas have started a new colony called Liviney, beginning a new chapter in Mennonite history. Photojournalist Luca Zanetti spent some time with the community in the Meta regionIn a remote corner of the rolling plains that stretch across eastern Colombia from the foothills of the Andes to the Venezuelan frontier, a cluster of grain silos juts up against the pristine blue sky.Not long ago, this region was plagued by Communist insurgents and rightwing paramilitaries; now it is home to an austere community of blond-haired, blue-eyed Anabaptist Christians which traces its origins to 16th-century Friesland.A quote from the New Testament in German at the church. ‘The blessing of the Lord makes you rich without effort.’ Continue reading...
As the jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial deliberated, dozens of protesters – some for Rittenhouse, some against – stood outside the Kenosha county courthouse in Wisconsin. Some talked quietly with those on the other side and others shouted. One group was chanting ‘Black Lives Matter!’ while others responded with ‘self-defense is not a crime!’ One woman could be heard repeatedly calling Rittenhouse supporters ‘white supremacists’
Bui Tuan Lam’s video came days after minister was filmed eating Turkish chef’s golden steakPolice in Vietnam have summoned a beef noodle seller who filmed himself imitating Nusret Gökçe, or “Salt Bae”, days after a top Vietnamese official was caught on camera eating gold-encrusted steak at the Turkish celebrity chef’s London restaurant.Bui Tuan Lam, 38, from the central city of Danang, said his intention in making the video, which shows him ceremoniously slicing boiled beef and flamboyantly sprinkling green onions into a bowl of noodle soup, was not to mock any particular individual. Continue reading...
In country hit by hyperinflation, a shortage of dollars means those struggling to survive can make a profit dealing torn notesIn time-honoured street hawker tradition, Kaitano Kasani is using charm and persuasion to get people to sell him their tattered US banknotes.Kasani, 42, bellows through a megaphone as he walks through Glen Norah, a township in Harare, in the sweltering November heat. Continue reading...
by Cait Kelly and Matilda Boseley (earlier) on (#5S048)
Victorian premier calls protesters on steps of parliament a ‘small, angry mob’; baby girl among eight new Covid cases in Northern Territory; Dominic Perrottet delays call on extending NSW’s emergency pandemic powers; flood waters expected to peak in NSW town of Forbes; Victoria records 996 cases and nine deaths; 231 cases and no deaths in NSW; more than 12,000 people on waiting list to enter Queensland.
Researchers at Stella Mare believe they have cracked the secret of captive breeding – and can save the island’s artisanal fisheriesInside a white-walled laboratory, an assistant dons rubber gloves and lowers a net into a water-filled tank taking up half the room. In a corner lurks a lobster. As the net approaches, the animal hurtles to the other side of the tank and back again. It evades capture for some time until it is finally caught and lifted out – only to stubbornly grip the net with its claws and plunge back into the water.“It’s a very resilient creature,” says Jean-José Filippi, an engineer at the Stella Mare laboratory. “These lobsters won’t be caught willingly. But they still need our help if they are going to survive.” Continue reading...
A year after I left hospital, I’m still getting over the Covid that almost killed me. But I’m not going to waste another minute of my lifeI was in a wheelchair when they brought me home at the end of September 2020. I had been in intensive care for 102 days. For the first two months my wife, Plum, had not been allowed to visit, instead receiving daily reports on my condition – recurrent delirium, two heart attacks, stents, kidney dialysis, pneumonia, memory loss and tracheotomy – all brought on by Covid.Three times she was told I wouldn’t be resuscitated if I suffered any further deterioration and she had come to dread the ringing of the phone. But only when I got home did I fully realise how much she and the families of other Covid patients had suffered. Continue reading...
by Written by Nathan Thrall, read by Ruth Barnes, pro on (#5S0CP)
We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week, from 2018: Israel sees the international boycott campaign as an existential threat to the Jewish state. Palestinians regard it as their last resort. By Nathan Thrall Continue reading...
Limits on media workers has helped fuel tensions between Beijing and Washington for more than a yearChina and the US have agreed to ease restrictions on each other’s journalists amid a slight easing of tensions between the two sides.The official China Daily newspaper said on Wednesday that the agreement was reached ahead of the virtual summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US president Joe Biden held a day earlier. Continue reading...
Singer issues lengthy video statement expressing gratitude for being able to use her own cash and car keys and thanks fans for ‘saving her life’Britney Spears has spoken out about the realities of her new freedom after her 13-year conservatorship was lifted last week.In her longest and most detailed statement since a judge terminated the controversial legal arrangement that controlled many aspects of her personal and financial life, the pop star spoke about her excitement and gratitude at being able to do things like use a debit card and possess her own car keys. Continue reading...
Survey of more than 6,000 people by Transparency International is the most comprehensive look at corruption in the region to dateOne in three people across the Pacific Islands region have paid a bribe when using a public service in the last year, while a quarter of people have been offered a bribe for their vote in the last five years, according to a report by Transparency International.The findings for the watchdog group are based on a survey of more than 6,000 people in 10 countries and territories, and is the most comprehensive look at corruption ever carried out in the region. Continue reading...
Music industry welcomes move by Spanish government as ‘hugely welcome’ and a ‘big victory’The UK’s music industry has welcomed the decision by the Spanish government to scrap post-Brexit visa requirements for UK artists on short-term tours, but warned significant issues still remain that will make many tours “impossible”.Spain’s announcement means UK musicians and their crew will no longer need visas for engagements of less than 90 days, a change in policy that came after months of lobbying from trade groups on both sides. Continue reading...
by Scott Bryan and Michael Chakraverty on (#5S047)
Chigs, Crystelle, Jürgen and Giuseppe are fighting for a place in the final in Patisserie Week. Who will prove themselves the crème de la crème – and who will be making a French exit?I swear they only do these surreal openers to confuse viewers who are watching on mute.Matt’s come dressed as the Pringles man that Laura made last year. Continue reading...
Rosalinda González Valencia accused of involvement in ‘illicit financial operation’ of Jalisco New Generation cartelMexico’s military have arrested the wife of the Mexican drug lord “El Mencho”, leader of the ultra-violent Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG).Rosalinda González Valencia was detained in the municipality of Zapopan in the western Jalisco state in a “a significant blow to the financial structure of organized crime in the state”, the defense ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Continue reading...
by Maya Wolfe-Robinson and Rajeev Syal on (#5S037)
Emad al-Swealmeen contacted office of Labour’s Paula Barker last year about Home Office applicationThe suspected Liverpool bomber sought help from his local MP as he tried to secure leave to remain in the UK from the Home office, the Guardian understands.Emad al-Swealmeen, also known as Enzo Almeni, contacted the office of Paula Barker, the Labour MP for Wavertree, last year. The Home Office is thought to have rejected his latest claim of asylum in December 2020. Continue reading...
Wednesday: Tech giant Google has pulled the majority of United Australia party’s YouTube ads for allegedly violating its policies. Plus: a film critic’s favourite moviesGood morning. Most of the United Australia party’s videos have been pulled from YouTube for allegedly violating the tech giant’s advertising policy. The prime minister’s department breached FOI laws over the release of documents relating to Brittany Higgins. And David Stratton tells us about his beloved films.Three out of every four video ads the United Australia party has posted on YouTube since late September have been pulled by Google for allegedly violating the tech giant’s advertising policies, according to Google’s transparency report. It is not clear what the removed videos contained or which of Google’s policies they are alleged to have violated. Since former the Liberal MP Craig Kelly joined the UAP in late August, the party has spent $2.684m on 25 ads run on YouTube. Continue reading...
Clearcutting worsens heavy rain events but selective logging is needed to limit wildfire threat, experts sayA devastating string of floods and landslides have shocked residents in British Columbia, a west Canadian province increasingly forced to grapple with the effects of the climate crisis. As images of the devastation circulate on social media, experts warn that management of the province’s forests will be critical to blunting the effects of future storms.“It’s just this awful feeling of being right – and not wanting to be right. This is exactly what the best available science has predicted for years,” said Peter Wood, author of a recent report on the link between clearcut logging and community safety from the Sierra Club BC. “We know the outcome when you log steep slopes … You reach sort of a tipping point, where the forest is no longer able to provide that moderating service of controlling flow of water.” Continue reading...
Biden administration may not send official delegation to Beijing 2022, in protest at human rights abusesThe US is going to stage a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in China and will not send an official delegation in protest against human rights abuses, according to a report on Tuesday.The report comes the day after a virtual summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, in which multiple policy issues were raised but the Olympics were not mentioned, despite some earlier reports that Xi would deliver an invitation to the games. Continue reading...
The military build-up on Ukraine’s eastern border signals a change in strategy from MoscowProvocation or preparation? And for what? The exact intentions informing the large-scale deployment of Russian forces close to Ukraine’s eastern border remain opaque. But it seems increasingly clear that the tensions stoked by Vladimir Putin in the spring – when a prior military build-up took place – were the initial phase of a new approach rather than a one-off performative episode. After five years of frozen conflict, a worrying thaw appears to be taking place.In April, having marched tens of thousands of troops to the Ukrainian border, Mr Putin announced a partial pull-back, to the relief of Kyiv and the west. It has since emerged that the retreat was merely superficial; troops stayed in the region and many of the tanks, ballistic missiles and assorted artillery remain in place. This hardware is now supplemented by an estimated 100,000 troops to the north, south and east of the Donbass region of Ukraine, controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, warned Moscow this week against “further provocation or aggressive actions” against an EU neighbour and ally. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has said that any such aggression would be a “serious mistake”. But Tuesday’s decision by the German energy regulator to temporarily suspend certification of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline adds another unpredictable dimension to an unstable situation. The pipeline, which will allow Russia to bypass Ukraine when transporting energy to Germany, is seen by Kyiv as a threat to both its finances and security. Continue reading...
My friend Barbara Doris, who has died aged 99, was one of the 36 people who marched from Cardiff to Greenham Common in August 1981 to protest about the placement of cruise missiles at the US and RAF army base near Newbury, Berkshire. She was one of the founders of the women’s peace camp subsequently set up at the base.She lived there for several months during the first winter and returned frequently. For many years she remained a committed peace activist. Continue reading...
Young people are increasingly watching television with the captions on. But the accuracy of the on-screen text can leave a lot to be desired. Just ask Benedict Couple Beer Batch …
Multi-faith representatives deliver statement of solidarity outside hospital where explosion took placeLiverpool’s politicians and faith leaders have urged solidarity in the face of division after reports of Islamophobic attacks following a suspected suicide bombing in the city.Multi-faith representatives delivered a joint statement of solidarity outside Liverpool women’s hospital on Tuesday, where a car was blown up on Sunday. Continue reading...
by Hosted by Jane Lee. Recommended by Bonnie Malkin. on (#5RZSN)
Low Covid vaccination rates reflect practical barriers – but Māori have good reason to distrust the government. International news editor Bonnie Malkin introduces Morgan Godfery’s personal investigation of this fraught history
by Jessica Elgot Chief political correspondent on (#5RZ99)
Caroline Nokes said PM’s father had smacked her on the bottom in 2003, while journalist also claims he groped herThe prime minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, has been accused of inappropriately touching a former cabinet minister as well as a senior political journalist.Caroline Nokes, who chairs the women and equalities committee, said Johnson had smacked her on the bottom in 2003, while he was in the running to be MP for Teignbridge in Devon. Continue reading...
Polish riot police on the country’s border with Belarus have fired water cannon and teargas at people forcibly attempting to cross into the European Union. Dozens of men threw rocks and approached a fence near the border crossing at the Polish town of Kuźnica. The clashes come a day after EU governments approved sanctions against the Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, for allegedly engineering the crisis by allowing thousands of asylum seekers from the Middle East to travel through Belarus to the border with Poland
Inquiries continue after man killed after taxi exploded on Sunday outside Liverpool Women’s hospitalA suspected suicide bomber blew himself up with a homemade device outside a maternity hospital in Liverpool on Sunday.Here’s what we know so far:A taxi exploded in flames outside Liverpool Women’s hospital in the city centre, shortly before 11am on Sunday.A male passenger inside the vehicle was killed in the blast and declared dead at the scene.Police have identified the passenger as 32-year-old Emad al-Swealmeen.The taxi driver – named as David Perry – managed to escape before the flames spread and was released from hospital on Monday after being treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was injured or killed.Police inquiries indicate that Swealmeen made an improvised explosive device (IED) and brought it into the taxi.Four men were arrested on Sunday afternoon and Monday but have all been released.The motive for the apparent attack is unknown but links to the Remembrance Day ceremony nearby are being explored.Swealmeen is understood to have been an asylum-seeker who had previously lived in Iraq. He was refused asylum in 2014, according to reports.He lived with a couple called Malcolm and Elizabeth Hitchcott for eight months, who have described him as a “lovely guy”.Swealmeen converted from Islam to Christianity at a ceremony in Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral. Continue reading...
Bill set to pass parliament later this week but Labor’s Harriet Shing says heated protests have led MPs and staff to ‘second guess their security’Opponents of the Victorian government’s controversial pandemic powers legislation have called for the bill to be delayed in the upper house, warning ongoing protests outside parliament will grow.Debate in the Legislative Council ran into Tuesday night and was expected to continue late into the week with opponents vowing to scrutinise the bill line by line. Continue reading...
Judicial report on killings in Nigerian city in October finds 11 unarmed people were killedA leaked judicial report has found that Nigeria’s army and police shot and killed unarmed anti-police brutality protesters in October last year, before cleaning up the scene to remove evidence.The report, submitted to the Lagos state government on Monday, was based on a year-long inquiry into abuses by police forces and the killings at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos. It found that 11 unarmed people had been killed and that a further four were missing and presumed dead. The report identified 48 casualties in total. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot, Vikram Dodd and Jamie Grierson on (#5RZ98)
Damian Hinds says there has been a shift to ‘self-directed’ attacks by individuals or small groupsThe coronavirus pandemic may have “exacerbated” the number of people self-radicalising online, the UK security minister, Damian Hinds, said in the wake of the Liverpool bombing.Hinds said the security services had disrupted more than 30 late-stage plots in the last few years. Continue reading...
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