Watchdog to release first report blaming president for attacks during the conflictThe UN’s chemical weapons watchdog is expected to release its first report explicitly blaming Bashar al-Assad for sarin and chlorine gas attacks on civilians in Syria as efforts to establish accountability for the use of chemical agents in the nine-year-old conflict gain momentum.Observers anticipate that public and classified versions of a report by a new unit at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will be published on Wednesday, close to the anniversaries of a major chlorine attack o[...]
In lawsuit, Michael Sanchez has accused AMI of plot to ‘scapegoat’ him, and has cast doubt on claim that he was the ‘sole source’ A top executive at the tabloid publisher behind the National Enquirer said in a private email that he was “saving for my tombstone” the untold story of how the tabloid uncovered a 2019 exclusive about Jeff Bezos’s extramarital relationship, according to a lawsuit against the publisher.The claim raises new questions about how American Media Inc (AMI) discovered the Amazon CEO’s relationship, and how it obtained knowledge of explicit sexual photographs that Bezos, one[...]
Group of former diplomats and ministers says shifting rules on medical trade could save hundreds of thousands of livesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCoronavirus latest: at a glanceA group of 24 senior diplomats and defence officials, including four former Nato secretary generals, have urged Donald Trump to save “potentially hundreds of thousands of lives” across the Middle East by easing medical and humanitarian sanctions on Iran. Related: US ignores calls to suspend Venezuela and Iran sanctions amid coronavirus pandemic Continue reading...
Actor also known for role in Avengers praised as ‘hugely prolific creative talent’ by family• Peter Bradshaw on Honor Blackman: an elegant and witty star who never took herself too seriously• Honor Blackman: a life in picturesHonor Blackman, the actor best known for playing the Bond girl Pussy Galore, has died aged 94.Blackman, who became a household name in the 1960s as Cathy Gale in The Avengers and had a career spanning eight decades, died of natural causes unrelated to coronavirus. Continue reading...
There’s a kind of hush all over the world as the reduction in human activity stops the Earth buzzing so muchCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe dramatic quietening of towns and cities in lockdown Britain has changed the way the Earth moves beneath our feet, scientists say.Seismologists at the British Geological Survey have found that their sensors are twitching less now that human activity has been curtailed, leading to a drop in the anthropogenic din that vibrates through the planet. Continue reading...
The killings of the investigative reporter and his fiancée led to protests that eventually saw the Slovakian prime minister resignA court in Slovakia has sentenced a former soldier to 23 years in prison for the murder of the investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in February 2018.The double murder of the recently engaged couple, both of whom were 27 at the time, shocked Slovakia and led to protests that eventually saw the prime minister resign. Continue reading...
Industry body assures people in open letter there is no link between 5G and pandemicCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAt least 20 mobile phone masts across the UK are believed to have been torched or otherwise vandalised since Thursday, according to government and industry sources who are increasingly concerned about the impact of baseless theories linking coronavirus to 5G networks.There have been noticeable clusters of attacks on masts around Liverpool and the West Midlands. Owing to the slow rollout of 5G in the UK, many of the masts that have been vandalised did n[...]
Most new electricity globally was green and coronavirus bailouts must boost this further, says agencyAlmost three-quarters of new electricity generation capacity built in 2019 uses renewable energy, representing an all-time record. New data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) shows solar, wind and other green technologies now provide more than one-third of the world’s power, marking another record.Fossil fuel power plants are in decline in Europe and the US, with more decommissioned than built in 2019. But the number of coal and gas plants grew in Asia, the Middle East and A[...]
Account of kidnap and rape will help to stop others suffering in silence, says charityA national rape charity has praised the bravery of the pop singer Duffy for going public with harrowing details of how she was drugged, held captive and raped early in her career.On Sunday Duffy posted details of an ordeal which she kept secret for a decade, hoping that it might bring comfort to others that it is possible to “come out of the darkness”. Continue reading...
System of sensors and cameras would turn loo into ‘daily clinic’ and detect problems earlyA smart toilet boasting pressure sensors, artificial intelligence and a camera has been unveiled by researchers who say it could provide a valuable way to keep tabs on our health.The model is the latest version of an idea that has been around for several years: a system that examines our daily movements in an effort to spot the emergence of diseases. Such an approach, experts say, has an advantage over wearable devices, since individuals do not need to remember to use the system. Continue reading...
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