A family has been killed while trying to flee the town of Irpin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy has vowed to punish Russian forces for the attack
Continue reading...Category Archives: World News
Chatham Islands, one of world’s most remote places, records first Covid cases
The islands, 800km east of New Zealand, had been among several other isolated nations and territories that had so far evaded the virus
After nearly two years of dodging Covid-19, one of the most remote inhabited places in the world has recorded its first ever cases of the virus.
Rēkohu, or the Chatham Islands, are just over 800km east of New Zealand’s mainland and are home to roughly 600 permanent residents.
Continue reading...Russian gymnast with ‘Z’ symbol on podium next to Ukrainian faces long ban
- Gymnastics’ governing body condemns Ivan Kuliak’s conduct
- Letter seen to symbolise support for the invasion of Ukraine
Gymnastics’ governing body has condemned the “shocking behaviour” of the Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, who now faces a lengthy ban for wearing a symbol in support of the invasion of Ukraine on the medal podium of a World Cup event.
After winning bronze in the parallel bars final at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha, Kuliak taped the letter “Z” to the front of his outfit before standing next to the gold medallist, Illia Kovtun of Ukraine, for the national anthems.
Continue reading...‘Impossible’: Bolshoi music director quits over calls to denounce Ukraine invasion
Tugan Sokhiev resigns without stating his position, saying he could not choose between ‘my beloved Russian and beloved French musicians’
The Bolshoi Theatre’s music director and principal conductor Tugan Sokhiev announced his resignation Sunday, saying he felt under pressure due to calls to take a position on the Ukraine conflict.
The Russian said in a statement he was resigning “with immediate effect” from his post at the Moscow theatre, as well as his equivalent position at France’s Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.
Continue reading...Liga MX suspended as Fifa condemns ‘barbaric’ riot that leaves dozens injured in Mexico
- Three confirmed as critically injured after riot
- Players were forced to flee from pitch during violence
At least 26 people were injured, including three critically, on Saturday when fans brawled during a football game in central Mexico.
The Liga MX match between the hosts Queretaro and Atlas from Guadalajara was suspended in the 62nd minute when fights broke out in the stands. Security personnel opened the gates to the field so that fans, including women and children, could escape the stands.
Continue reading...Denmark to hold referendum on scrapping EU defence opt-out
PM urges voters to overturn existing policy in June and pledges boost to defence spending following Russian invasion of Ukraine
Denmark’s prime minister has called for the country’s citizens to overturn the country’s opt-out from EU defence policy in a referendum to be held on 1 June, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Historic times call for historic decisions,” Mette Frederiksen told a news conference on Sunday, adding that the government “very clearly calls on Danes to lift the opt-out on defence”.
Continue reading...Ukraine protests around the world – in pictures
As the invasion of Ukraine entered its second week, protests against Russian aggression were held all over the world
Continue reading...Blinken vows to escalate sanctions on Russia but warns war could last ‘some time’
Speaking from Moldova, US secretary of state warns Russia holds military advantage that western allies are finding hard to counter
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a pledge on Sunday to increase pressure on Russia through sanctions and provide more aid to Ukraine, but warned that Russia held a military advantage that western allies are finding hard to counter and the war was set to last “some time”.
“Vladimir Putin has, unfortunately, the capacity with the sheer manpower he has in Ukraine and overmatch he has, the ability to keep grinding things down against incredibly resilient and courageous Ukrainians. I think we have to be prepared for this to last for some time,” Blinken told CNN.
Continue reading...‘Consent was never given’: indigenous groups oppose restarting Guatemala nickel mine
An investigation appears to show company employees discussing how to smear local opponents of the Central American nickel operation
A decision to restart operations at one of Central America’s largest nickel mines is being questioned by campaigners, after an investigation appeared to show the company co-opted indigenous leaders and smeared potential opponents.
In 2019, the Fenix project in eastern Guatemala was the subject of an investigation carried out by the Guardian and other media, organised by French consortium Forbidden Stories.
In that investigation, residents alleged that the mine – which is owned by Solway, a company based in Switzerland – was to blame for failing crops, polluting the lake and pressing local authorities to quash dissent.
As a result of a new investigation by the same consortium, the Guardian visited local communities in El Estor, the municipality surrounding the mine, in January this year and heard from residents and community leaders that claim little has changed.
“They said that there would be development [building schools and hospitals], that there would be a change in El Estor, when really there is none,” said Cristobal Pop, 45, the president of the artisan fishers’ union.
Continue reading...US officials fly to Venezuela for talks in apparent bid to further isolate Russia
Experts believe rare meeting with Moscow ally could signal significant shift in US policy towards Caracas
Senior US officials have flown to Venezuela for rare talks with Nicolás Maduro’s government in an apparent bid to prise the South American country away from its Russian backers after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
White House and state department negotiators met Maduro representatives in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, on Saturday in what was the first such encounter in years.
Continue reading...Spanish minister defends police accused of brutality at Melilla border
Video of man being beaten by officers prompts outrage, but interior minister says use of force ‘proportionate’
Spain’s interior minister has defended the behaviour of police who were filmed beating and pepper-spraying a young sub-Saharan African man as he climbed over the border fence between Morocco and Spain’s north African enclave of Melilla, insisting the officers’ use of force was “proportionate”.
The video emerged last week as about 3,700 people tried to scale the six-metre (20ft) fence over two days. On Wednesday, an unprecedented 2,500 people tried to clamber over the border, of whom 491 succeeded. The following day, 1,200 people attempted to cross over, with 380 making it.
Continue reading...Clear picture of war in Ukraine clouded by large areas of unknowns
Analysis: lack of reliable information has made it hard to assess the Russian military’s successes and failures
In conflict, where information is everything, what is striking about the war in Ukraine is not what is known but the very large areas of unknowns.
And even as commentators have picked over and analysed everything that is known about the Russian military’s operations and performance in Ukraine in an effort to predict the trajectory of the conflict, it’s what is poorly understood that may yet be more significant still.
Continue reading...Brazilian politician’s sexist remarks about Ukraine refugees spark outrage
Arthur do Val heard in leaked audio messages calling women fleeing war ‘easy because they’re poor’
A prominent member of the Brazilian right is facing calls to resign after he was exposed in leaked audio messages making a succession of callous and misogynistic remarks about Ukrainian refugees during a purportedly humanitarian mission to the recently invaded country.
Arthur do Val, a São Paulo congressman and former supporter of Brazil’s rightwing president, Jair Bolsonaro, made a three-day trip to the region last week, supposedly to raise awareness of the human cost of Vladimir Putin’s attack.
Continue reading...Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine and Russia blame each other as Mariupol evacuation fails again – live
Hopes of establishing a humanitarian corridor out of besieged city of Mariupol dashed for second day running
- Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 11 of the Russian invasion
- Defiant Putin warns the west: your sanctions are akin to an act of war
- Evacuation of Mariupol postponed as Russia fails to respect ceasefire
- Visa and Mastercard will both suspend operations in Russia
- Ukraine claims footage shows them shooting down Russian helicopter
The Ukrainian military is reporting that Russia has suffered losses of more than 11,000 military personnel since the invasion began.
A total of 285 Russian tanks and 985 armoured combat vehicles were also reported to have been destroyed as well as 109 artillery systems, 44 aircraft and 48 helicopters, according to a report by the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine and published to the website of the Ukrainian ministry of defence.
The scale and strength of Ukrainian resistance continue to surprise Russia.
[Russia] has responded by targeting populated areas in multiple locations, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol.
Continue reading...Defeating Putin in Ukraine may take years, says Dominic Raab
Deputy PM says Nato will need ‘strategic stamina’ as Starmer accuses ministers of moving too slowly on sanctions
It may take years for Vladimir Putin to be defeated in his conquest of Ukraine, Britain’s deputy prime minister has admitted, as Labour accused the government of moving too slowly over sanctions.
Dominic Raab said people who thought the crisis could be resolved in days were “deluding themselves” and that Nato would need to “show some strategic stamina” in its bid to force the Russian army to retreat.
Continue reading...Nervous residents of Mariupol prepare to leave during second ceasefire
Hundreds of thousands hope to flee city in south-east Ukraine despite Russia allegedly breaking last ceasefire
More than 430,000 people trapped in the port city of Mariupol by encircling Russian forces are nervously preparing to evacuate after a ceasefire was announced, a day after a similar plan fell apart amid accusations that Moscow had failed to respect the agreement.
Local authorities in the south-eastern Ukrainian city said an evacuation supervised by the Red Cross would begin at noon local time (10am GMT) during a nine-hour cessation in Russian attacks.
Continue reading...Social media turn on Putin, the past master
Disinformation and fake accounts were used against the west for years – now the Kremlin is under attack
One of the wildest aspects of the first Great Information War is not just that you can follow Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in real time, minute by minute and step by step, but you can also join in.
Because in 2022, information is power. And one of the many huge unexpected geopolitical shifts of the last week is that this power has been returned to the people.
Continue reading...Elizabeth Hurley mourns ‘Lionheart’ Shane Warne after shock death
Cricket star’s former fiancee among many to pay tribute to bowler after suspected heart attack
Actor Elizabeth Hurley paid tribute to her former fiance and “beloved Lionheart”, Shane Warne, as fresh details of the Australian cricket star’s sudden death in Thailand emerged.
Hurley, who was engaged to Warne for more than two years until they split in December 2013, said that “the sun has gone behind a cloud forever”.
Continue reading...Acclaimed foreign correspondent Hugh O’Shaughnessy dies aged 87
Former Observer journalist was perhaps best known for his courageous coverage of Pinochet’s brutal coup in Chile in 1973
Hugh O’Shaughnessy, the admired journalist known for his reporting on Latin America, has died aged 87.
The former Observer correspondent won a series of awards during an illustrious career largely spent covering the rapidly changing social and political landscape of South America.
Continue reading...The people of Ukraine need our solidarity. But not just because they’re ‘like us’ | Kenan Malik
The outpouring of sympathy and help for Ukrainian refugees has prompted debate about European attitudes to identity and ethnicity
In 1857, the English poet and Chartist leader Ernest Jones wrote a series of articles in the People’s Paper about the “Indian Mutiny” of that year. It was, he observed, no “mutiny” but a “national insurrection” that Britons should support as much as they had supported similar struggles in Europe. Britons were “on the side of Poland” when it “struggled for its freedom against Russia”. If Poland was “right”, Jones insisted, then “so is Hindostan”.
I was reminded of his argument as I read and listened to some of the commentary about Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion. The invasion is brutal and unacceptable, an assault on democracy and sovereignty. We should oppose it just as we should oppose the Saudi assault on Yemen. We should support the people of Ukraine just as we should the people of Syria.
Continue reading...