Court established 32-year-old man had joined forces of Moscow-led separatists in Donbas
A Kyrgyz court has handed a 10-year sentence to a man who fought for Russia in Ukraine, at a time when Moscow is trying to boost recruitment of people from ex-Soviet central Asian countries.
Dozens of nationals of these countries have been killed in Ukraine in recent months, local media say, most of them after joining the ranks of the Russian army or the private military group Wagner.
Continue reading...Carlos Soria forced to abandon ascent of Nepal’s Dhaulagiri, one of two 8,000-metre summits he is still to conquer
An 84-year-old Spanish mountaineer has been forced to abandon his 15th attempt to reach the summit of Nepal’s Dhaulagiri – one of the two “8,000ers” he had left to climb to claim the title of the oldest climber to conquer the world’s 14 highest mountains.
A Sherpa fell on Carlos Soria, injuring his leg, a message posted on his behalf on his Twitter and Facebook accounts said.
Continue reading...Temperatures up to 45C recorded in April in parts of India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Laos
A searing heatwave in parts of southern Asia in April was made at least 30 times more likely by climate breakdown, according to a study by international scientists.
Unusually high temperatures of up to 45C (113F) were recorded last month in monitoring stations in parts of India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Laos.
Continue reading...‘Strong climber’ Kami Rita Sherpa beats own record for number of ascents on world’s highest mountain
A Nepali sherpa has scaled Mount Everest for a record 27th time, beating his own record, a government official and his hiking company said.
Kami Rita Sherpa, 53, scaled the 8,849-metre (29,032ft) mountain early on Wednesday morning along the traditional south-east ridge route, guiding a foreign climber.
Continue reading...Refugees, including a special forces soldier and a political adviser, receive ‘notice to quit’ letters from home secretary
Afghan refugee families uprooted from London to Yorkshire earlier this year have been issued with eviction notices in the name of Suella Braverman.
This will be the fourth time that some of the families have been forced to move home, sometimes leaving jobs and schools, since being airlifted out of Kabul to the UK in August 2021. They were invited to the UK under Operation Pitting because at least one family member worked closely with the British authorities and it was believed that their lives would be at risk if they remained in Afghanistan.
Continue reading...Refugee camps bear brunt of deadly category-5 storm, while temperature divide is expected in North America
Cyclone Mocha brought strong winds and torrential rain to parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar on Sunday, with refugee camps bearing the brunt of the category-5 storm, leaving at least five dead and causing half a million people to be evacuated.
The region was rocked by sustained winds of more than 160mph as Mocha made landfall, whipping up gusts closer to 200mph and a storm surge of up to 4 metres. The world’s largest refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, was badly hit and more than 1,300 shelters were destroyed. Heavy rain triggered landslides and floods.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Former PM claims after release from custody that army chief has ‘personal grudge’ and is behind crackdown on party
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has escalated his criticism of the country’s powerful military, accusing the head of the army of harbouring a “personal grudge” against him and ordering his arrest and a crackdown on his party.
“It is personal. It’s got nothing to do with national interest,” Khan told the Guardian in an interview at his home in Lahore, after a dramatic week in which he was arrested at Islamabad’s high court by almost 100 paramilitary officers on Tuesday and held in police custody, in connection with a land corruption case.
Continue reading...About 1,000 people trapped by seawater rescued amid damage to homes, electricity infrastructure and mobile phone masts
Rescuers have evacuated about 1,000 people trapped by seawater 3.6 metres (12ft) deep along western Myanmar’s coast after a powerful cyclone injured hundreds and cut off communications in one of Asia’s least developed countries.
Strong winds injured more than 700 of about 20,000 people who were sheltering in sturdier buildings on the highlands of Sittwe township such as monasteries, pagodas and schools, according to a leader of the Rakhine Youths Philanthropic Association in Sittwe.
Continue reading...Former PM urges supporters to rally ‘at the end of your streets and villages’ and ‘sacrifice’ in push for immediate elections
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has called for nationwide “freedom” protests on Sunday after his brief arrest and detention last week triggered deadly unrest.
The one-time cricket superstar – who has been tied up in dozens of legal cases since being ousted from power in April 2022 – was freed on bail on Friday after his detention was declared unlawful by the supreme court.
Continue reading...Former prime minister steps up attacks on country’s military leaders as ministers plan to rearrest him
The crowds gathered peacefully, jostling outside the home of the man they call the “saviour of Pakistan”, hoping for a glimpse. Two days earlier, these same streets in the city of Lahore had resembled a warzone as tens of thousands of protesters violently took to the streets, ransacking buildings, burning cars, throwing petrol bombs and clashing with police, with several dying from gunshot wounds.
On Saturday, however, there was calm. Late the previous night, former prime minister Imran Khan had finally returned to his home, following some of the most tumultuous days in the country’s recent history that saw him arrested on Islamabad high court premises by 100 paramilitary officers. He was detained for two days but then, to the surprise of many observers, was granted bail and allowed to walk free after his arrest was declared illegal by Pakistan’s supreme court. With Khan released, the violence eased.
Continue reading...Victory deals blow to prime minister, who will seek third term in power at next year’s general election
India’s opposition Congress party has swept the Karnataka state elections, dealing a blow to Narendra Modi’s ruling party, which had fought hard to retain power.
As votes were counted on Saturday, it became clear Congress had won an overwhelming majority in the state and the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) quickly conceded defeat. “People have rejected divisive politics,” said Pawan Khera, a Congress party spokesperson.
Continue reading...Predicted to make landfall on Sunday, preparations are under way for a partial evacuation of the camp in Cox’s Bazar
Tropical cyclone Mocha intensified to become “very dangerous”, the World Meteorological Organisation has said, warning of violent winds, floods and possible landslides in Bangladesh which could hit the world’s biggest refugee camp in Cox’s bazar.
Cyclone Mocha is predicted to make landfall on Sunday near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, according to India’s meteorological office, packing winds of up to 175km/h (108mph).
Continue reading...Judges’ decision comes amid rising tensions as former Pakistan PM faces claims over illegal land transfers
A court has granted bail to Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan for two weeks in a corruption case and ordered his protection from arrest on any charges until Monday, amid concerns that he would be immediately rearrested on his release.
Security was tight as Khan appeared at a hearing at Islamabad high court on Friday seeking bail in multiple cases. He had been in police custody since Tuesday after being arrested on the premises of the court by almost 100 paramilitary officers.
Continue reading...With 20m people at the highest risk of famine for 25 years, farmers are desperately trying to kill the pests before vast swarms form
The northern “breadbasket” of Afghanistan is battling a potentially devastating outbreak of locusts that threaten to eat their way through up to a quarter of the country’s annual wheat harvest, the UN has warned.
After three years of disappointing, drought-afflicted harvests, Afghan farmers were expecting better this year – a much-needed boost for a country where nearly 20 million people are thought to be at the highest risk of famine in 25 years.
Continue reading...Court orders immediate release of former prime minister who was arrested in Islamabad this week
Pakistan’s supreme court has ruled the arrest of the former prime minister Imran Khan was illegal and ordered for him to be released.
The chief justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, declared that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had acted in violation of the law by arresting Khan on the premises of the Islamabad high court without permission and that such actions would have a “chilling effect”.
Continue reading...In today’s newsletter: Protests could mark the start of a violent showdown that threatens the country’s fragile political system
Good morning.
On Tuesday, the former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was arrested on charges of corruption. The extraordinary scene was caught on video, with Khan at the centre of a gaggle of agents, all dressed in black riot gear who are pulling him into an armoured truck outside the high court in the capital, Islamabad.
US news | Donald Trump made a chaotic appearance at a CNN town hall last night, digging in on lies about the 2020 election and E Jean Carroll’s lawsuit, a day after a New York jury found the former president liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
Wales | Adam Price, the leader of Plaid Cymru since 2018, is resigning from his position after a damning review said his party had failed to “detoxify” its culture and found evidence of misogyny, harassment and bullying. A new leader is expected to be in place for the summer.
Health | The Guardian has found that some online pharmacies operating in the UK are approving and dispatching prescriptions of controversial slimming jabs for people of a healthy weight. Campaigners are urging pharmacies to deploy stronger health checks and screening for eating disorders.
Politics | The Conservative chair of the foreign affairs select committee heavily criticised Liz Truss over her planned trip to Taiwan, calling it “the worst kind of Instagram diplomacy”. Alicia Kearns went on, describing the trip as little more than a vanity project aimed at keeping her profile high after her brief time as prime minister last year.
Housing | Almost 1.5 million homeowners with fixed-rate mortgages face higher borrowing costs as the Bank of England is expected to push up interest rates to 4.5%. Many will see their annual bills increase by an average of £3,000 when they refinance their loans this year.
Continue reading...War in Ukraine and Pakistan’s ‘monsoon on steroids’ among events driving surge on ‘scale never seen before’ as 71m people displaced
The number of people around the world who were forced to flee their homes leapt by a fifth last year, as a “perfect storm” of Russia’s assault on Ukraine and climate disasters brought displacement on an unprecedented scale.
By the end of 2022 the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) – those forced from their homes but remaining within their country of residence – reached 71 million, according to figures published by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), up from 59.1 million in 2021.
Continue reading...At least five people have died and 84 have been injured as protests spread across country and army deployed
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been presented before a judge at a police station in Islamabad, 24 hours after his arrest by scores of paramilitary officers that led to countrywide uproar.
Khan was also indicted on Wednesday by the Islamabad high court in a separate corruption case in which he is accused of selling millions of dollars worth of state gifts presented by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
Continue reading...Party faces uphill task in southern state but is hoping PM’s popularity can galvanise votes with general election looming
A shower of marigold petals were flung over the crowds and cries of “Modi, Modi” filled the air. It could mean only one thing: election season has begun in India.
Voting opened on Wednesday in India’s southern state of Karnataka to decide who will form the next state government, and the significance of these polls is likely to stretch far beyond state borders. On Saturday, thousands had filled the streets of the state capital, Bengaluru, as the prime minister, Narendra Modi, drove 20 miles through the city waving from a car in an attempt to galvanise votes for his ruling Bharatiya Janata party, one of more than 9,000 rallies and roadshows held by the BJP across the state.
Continue reading...About 1,700 houses in Manipur have been destroyed in clashes between Meiteis, who are mostly Hindus, and mainly Christian Kuki tribe
The road to Heirokland is smooth and freshly laid, with a sign proclaiming it part of an Indian government development initiative. But ethnic violence has reduced the village itself to little more than smouldering ashes.
Sanatomba picked through the ruins of his sister’s home in the north-eastern state of Manipur, trying to salvage anything of value, but could only recover a traditional stool.
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