French mother charged with murder of eight newborn babies

Dominique Cottrez, a nursing auxiliary who has admitted to killing her babies, appears in court A mother-of-two who worked as a nursing auxiliary in the north-eastern French city of Douai has been charged with the murder of eight of her newborn babies, sources said, as police pushed forward with their investigations into France’s apparently worst-ever [...]

Arizona immigration law blocked by judge in temporary victory for Obama

• Presidents’s efforts to shoot down legislation succeed• Several states wanted to adopt Arizona’s draconian rules A federal judge yesterday slapped down key elements of a controversial anti- immigration law in Arizona, handing a temporary victory to the Obama administration against a rising tide of anti-immigration feeling in the US. Judge Susan Bolton granted a [...]

French couple held after eight newborn babies’ found buried in village

Arrested mother of two admitted to having killed ‘a dozen’ other children, according to French radio The quiet village of Villers-au-Tertre in north-eastern France was in a state of shock last night after the bodies of eight newborn babies were found buried in the ground. By late yesterday afternoon, this sleepy hamlet had become infamous [...]

Chinese reporter in hiding after exposing company’s insider trading

A Chinese reporter who exposed insider trading has become a fugitive from justice. Police are hunting for Qiu Ziming to charge him with “fabricating and disseminating false information” that harmed a company’s reputation”. Qiu, who works for the Beijing-based business weekly, the Economic Observer, went into hiding after being placed on a national list of [...]

Worthwhile journalism initiative | Richard Adams

The problem with a competition to find the world’s most boring newspaper article is that there’s so many of them Years ago in the New Republic, Michael Kinsley ran a competition to find the most boring newspaper headline. The winner was “Worthwhile Canadian initiative”. Unlike “Small earthquake in Chile; not many dead”, which never appeared [...]

China’s newest export: convicts | Brahma Chellaney

The use of convict labourers on overseas projects is damaging China’s international reputation China has devised a novel strategy to relieve pressure on its overcrowded prisons: employ convicts as labourers on overseas projects in the developing world. The practice has exposed another facet of China’s egregious human rights record which, when it comes to the [...]

After the burning, a raft of IVF horror stories to come | Zoe Williams

The abolition of the HFEA will leave a major policy vacuum in biotech ethics. Without intervention, it’ll be filled by the Daily Mail George Osborne promised us a bonfire of the quangos, and you have to admit, that sounded quite cool: like a cross between a party and the execution of a heretic. I can’t [...]

Julia ‘moving forward’ Gillard seems to be going backwards | Judith Ireland

The fresh new face of the Australian government has spent her first month copying Kevin Rudd, the man she deposed Despite the surprise ditching of Kevin Rudd as Australia’s 26th prime minister last month, a large proportion of Australians heaved a sigh of relief when he walked the plank. True, he once enjoyed record levels [...]

Is driving into a bike zone actually illegal?

Motorists frequently ignore protected bike zones at junctions. Even the police give out mixed messages about whether they are breaking the law A couple of days ago I blogged about my encounter with an Addison Lee minicab driver who drove into the protected bike zone at a red traffic light. This happens frustratingly frequently and [...]

Afghan soldiers, Combat Oupost Ware, southern Afghanistan | In pictures

Images of 10 of almost 40 soldiers from the Afghan national army, who patrol from a US outpost in the Arghandab valley, near Kandahar. The army is largely made up of northerners, who fought the Pashtun-dominated Taliban from the south of the country. Portraits by Kevin Frayer

Winston Churchill digital archive: best of the boxes

Interesting items found among politician’s items include annotated drafts of famous speeches and pictures of his pets There is about 1m pages of material in the Churchill archives, amounting to about 2,500 archival boxes of letters, telegrams, manuscripts, photographs and other ephemera. The archives include: • Annotated drafts of some of his most famous speeches [...]

‘We Americans are all immigrants – we must stop the old turning on the new’

A woman describes her feelings as she starts a campaign to stop Arizona’s new anti-immigration law Angelica Salas, 39, is travelling to Phoenix, Arizona, today along with 50 people from her campaign, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, to challenge the new anti-immigration law. “We’re still going to demonstrate because this is [...]

Gulf oil slick breaks up rapidly and begins to slip below waves

Deepwater spill will soon be invisible but could linger beneath the surface for decades Images from the Gulf of Mexico suggest a once vast expanse of oil is breaking up so rapidly it may soon be invisible to satellite photography. But scientists warned today that underwater plumes of oil could linger for a year or [...]

What if Byron Williams had been a teetotaler? | Michael Tomasky

This one had escaped my notice until today. A California man was arrested last week for drunk driving. He was on his way to San Francisco to kill liberals and spark a revolution. He was headed to the offices of the Tides Foundation, a progressive nonprofit that hardly anyone has ever heard of – except [...]

The truth about Costa del Obama

What Michelle Obama should know about her her holiday choice of Marbella It is a place of questionable taste, and unquestioning sleaze. But the Costa del Sol’s glitziest resort of Marbella is the surprise holiday choice of Michelle Obama and at least one of her daughters, Sasha, who are due to arrive on 4 August. [...]

Pass notes No 2,821: Mary Magdalene

Why has the Pope omitted Mary Magdalene from a list of ‘friends of Jesus’ in a children’s book he has written? Age: Well, that depends. We sort of know where her relics fetched up, either Constantinople in 886 or Aix in 745. For her actual age, think of her as about the same as Jesus. [...]

Catalonia votes to ban bullfighting

Animal rights campaigners celebrate as Spain’s most emblematic sport is banned by Catalan parliament Its orange sands have witnessed delight and death. Generations of matadors strutted their way across Barcelona’s Monumental bullring, drawing roars of approval from the crowds as they tormented the hulking bulls with their scarlet capes before killing them with a sword-thrust [...]

Chinese developers agree deal to build Bahamas mega-resort

Deal with Chinese investors gives new life to Baha Mar project, put on hold more than two years ago China has agreed to finance and build a stalled mega-resort in the Bahamas, where the tourism economy has been hit by falling occupancy rates and reduced foreign investment during the global downturn. The deal with Chinese [...]

Pakistan suffers its worst ever plane crash with 152 passengers lost

• Poor weather may have driven plane off-course• Victims’ remains to be identified by DNA testing A queue of ambulances brought a stream of bodies to Islamabad’s main hospital today, after the worst air crash in Pakistan’s history claimed the lives of all 152 of an aircraft’s passengers and crew. “They are all pieces. They [...]

Hackers replace Buchenwald Book of the Dead with neo-Nazi slogans

Neo-Nazis hack into Buchenwald foundation website dedicated to memory of victims and Holocaust research Hackers replaced a Book of the Dead with neo-Nazi slogans and symbols on the website for second world war concentration camp Buchenwald today . One slogan read: “Brown is beautiful”, referring to the colour of the shirts worn by Hitler’s SA [...]

Judge blocks part of Arizona law, now what? | Michael Tomasky

So federal judge Susan Bolton in Arizona has thrown out part of the state’s new immigration law, and yes, it’s the controversial part: the section that required state law enforcement officials, when stopping someone for another purpose who they suspect might be an illegal alien, to detain them until a determination can be made. This [...]

Arizona’s immigration law blocked by judge | Richard Adams

A federal judge blocks Arizona’s controversial new immigration law, only hours before it was to come into effect tonight A federal judge today blocked the most controversial measures in an Arizona immigration law, placing an injunction on new police powers only hours before they were to come into effect at midnight. The ruling delighted the [...]

Plastic Bertrand admits he did not sing 1977 hit

Belgian singer blames former producer after admitting his was not voice on Ça Plane Pour Moi The Belgian singer Plastic Bertrand has admitted that the voice that gave the world the 1977 Euro-punk anthem Ça Plane Pour Moi was not his. Roger Jouret, the man behind the Plastic Bertrand persona, had previously denied that he [...]

Plane crash in Pakistan kills 152

An Airblue plane crashes into hills north of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Asbos could be axed – government

Home Secretary Theresa May says it is time to move “beyond the Asbo”, signalling the possible end of its use. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Arizona set for immigration law

Protestors are expected to stream into Arizona as the state’s strict new anti-illegal immigration law takes effect on Thursday. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Boeing profits slump by a fifth

Aircraft giant Boeing reports a sharp drop in profits between April and June amid falling plane deliveries. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Nigeria brings stock market cases

Financial regulators in Nigeria are to bring charges against a list of people they accuse of illegally manipulating the stock market. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

UK PM’s Pakistan ‘terror’ warning

British PM David Cameron warns Pakistan not to have any relationship with groups that “promote the export of terror”. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The original Sinbad?

China goes in search of legacy of legendary mariner Zheng He This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Town trapped in flood-hit China

Flooding in China continues to cause chaos, with 30,000 people trapped in one town and explosive chemicals washed into a major river. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Terror suspects ‘allowed to sue’

The government loses an appeal against allowing two former terror suspects to sue for damages over the use of control orders. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Surface Gulf oil ‘vanishing fast’

Oil from BP’s damaged Gulf of Mexico well has cleared from the sea surface faster than expected, scientists say, 100 days after the disaster began. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Contador & Astana to part company

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will leave Astana at the end of this season after turning down the offer of a new deal. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Myth or reality?

Seeking the truth about border violence in Texas This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Wyclef mulls Haiti leadership bid

Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean is considering running for president of the Caribbean country, his family say. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Iraq helicopter crash kills five

A sandstorm downs an Iraqi military helicopter, killing its five-member crew, while a Baghdad blast kills five Iraqis, officials say. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Death or jail

A Puerto Rican drug dealer’s story This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

BAE signs Indian Hawk jets deal

BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce sign a £700m deal to supply India’s Hindustan Aeronautics with 57 Hawk training jets. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Belgian punk song in court battle

Musician and songwriter Plastic Bertrand did not sing on the 1977 track Ca Plane Pour Moi, a linguist tells a court in Belgium. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Afghanistan bus blast ‘kills 25′

A roadside bomb kills 25 civilians and wounds 20 travelling on a bus in south-western Afghanistan, officials say. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Catalonia orders bullfighting ban

The parliament of Catalonia votes to ban bullfighting – the first region of mainland Spain to do so. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

State of global internet revealed

Asian countries top the charts when it comes to internet speeds, according to a global survey by network giant Akamai. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Arcelor Mittal profits hit $1.7bn

Steel giant Arcelor Mittal reports a big jump in profits between April and June, with sales up as the global economy continues to recover. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

US woman held over ‘Russian arms’

A 24-year-old beautician has been arrested after allegedly trying to smuggle night-vision rifle scopes from the US to Russia. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

In pictures: The last bullring

Fight to the end – Inside Barcelona’s last bullring This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Blast hits oil tanker near Oman

A Japanese oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz is damaged by an explosion its operators say may have been an “outside attack”. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Rice and Franklin make sweet music

Condoleezza Rice and Aretha Franklin performed together at a concert in Philadelphia. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Schoolboy hailed as ‘next Picasso’

A British schoolboy has stunned the art world by producing paintings that look like Picasso’s. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Raul moves to German side Schalke

Former Spain striker Raul joins German side Schalke after ending his 18-year career with Real Madrid. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Botnet hacker caught in Slovenia

One of the hackers behind a computer virus that infected nearly 13m computers has been tracked down by international authorities. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Strong British showing at Toronto

Movies starring British actors including James McAvoy and Keira Knightley will premiere at this year’s Toronto film festival. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

All sick now?

New diagnostic tool may mean we all have mental health problem This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Pollution threat to deepest lake

The world’s deepest and oldest lake, Lake Baikal, is at risk of being removed from the UNESCO World Heritage list. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Mekong catfish ‘faces extinction’

The World Wildlife Fund warns that dams on the Mekong River could wipe out the giant catfish and other endangered fish species. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

West Ham reject Spurs Parker bid

West Ham say they have rejected a bid from Tottenham for Scott Parker, insisting the midfielder is not for sale “at any price”. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Franklin and Rice perform at gig

Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joins veteran singer Aretha Franklin on stage to perform at a charitable gig on Tuesday. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Bruni makes acting debut in Paris

French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy makes her acting debut in a Woody Allen film being shot in Paris. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Brazil TV ‘murder plotter’ dies

A Brazilian TV presenter accused of ordering murders to boost his crime show’s ratings dies in hospital without facing trial. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Boy, 5, wins Lidl defamation case

A five-year-old Irish boy who was wrongly accused of stealing a bag of crisps wins 7,500 euros damages for defamation of character. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Japan hangs two death row inmates

The new Japanese government carries out its first executions – but the justice minister calls for debate on the death penalty. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

LG profits hit by low phone sales

South Korean electronics firm LG Electronics reports a slump in profits as it struggles to keep pace with competitors in the mobile phone market. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Junk shop negatives ‘are $200m masterpieces’

Glass photo negatives bought for $45 (£34) are in fact the lost work of Ansel Adams – and valued at $200m, claims a California painter. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Dutch girl Dekker allowed to sail

A 14-year-old girl has been given permission by a Dutch court to try to become the youngest person to sail around the world. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

US House passes war funding bill

The US Congress approves funds to pay for President Barack Obama’s plan to increase US troops in Afghanistan, by a 308 to 114 vote. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Zimbabwe ‘run by military junta’

Zimbabwean politician Roy Bennett accuses President Robert Mugabe of being the front for by a military junta. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Fidel Castro to release memoirs

Fidel Castro unveils plans to release a volume of memoirs, telling how his revolutionaries defeated the Cuban army. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Police in Mexico find human heads

Eight human heads are found outside the northern Mexican city of Durango after anonymous tip-offs to police. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Rio slums to get Olympic makeover

Rio city planners announce slum clearances and rebuilding before the 2016 Olympics, affecting a quarter of a million households. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

A-Team stars hit London red carpet

The stars of the A-Team movie have hit the red carpet at the London premiere. The BBC’s Lizo Mzimba caught up with Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley, Bradley Cooper and Jessica Biel. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Indians on ‘special relationship’ with UK

British prime minister David Cameron has called for a new special relationship with India. It was once once part of the British empire, but is now one of the world’s fastest growing economies. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external [...]

Militia fears

Why Afghans are wary of village defence forces This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Puerto Rico’s salsa teaching lawyer

Rafael Cancel, who runs Puerto Rico’s first environmental law practice, talks about what motivates him to fight for social justice. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Stars and royalty mix at polo

Stars from the stage and screen mingled with royalty at one of the poshest events in the social calendar, the Cartier International Polo Day. This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

All feared dead in Pakistan plane crash

Crash of domestic flight on outskirts of Islamabad thought to be worst civil aviation disaster in Pakistan’s history A domestic passenger flight has crashed near Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, killing all 152 people on board in what is thought to be the country’s deadliest civil aviation accident. Police said remains were still being retrieved [...]

Catalonia outlaws bullfighting

One of Spain’s most famous semi-autonomous regions outlaws the sport in a move some will see as a rejection of national tradition The Catalonia parliament in Barcelona has voted to ban bullfighting, a move that rejects a hallmark of traditional Spain in a region with its own language and culture. The ban approved in the [...]

Passenger jet crashes near Pakistan capital

All 152 people aboard domestic flight that came down on outskirts of Islamabad feared dead All 152 people on board a Pakistan domestic passenger flight are feared dead after the Airbus jet crashed near the capital. Police said the remains of more than 90 people had been recovered by rescuers combing the forested Margalla hills [...]

Chinese factory explosion injures hundreds

Blast at disused chemical plant in Nanjing kills at least six An explosion at a chemical factory in east China has killed at least six people and left hundreds injured, state media reported today. The blast damaged buildings and vehicles within a hundred-metre radius of the plant in Nanjing, injuring passengers on a passing bus. [...]

Afghanistan war logs: coalition tried to hide civilian deaths

• Coalition commanders hid civilian deaths, war logs reveal• US, Afghanistan and Pakistan trade angry accusations • Leak poses ‘very real threat’ to US forces – White House Tensions between the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan were further strained today after the leak of thousands of military documents about the Afghan war. As members of the [...]

Can Cameron be sensitive over Kashmir? | Rudra Chaudhuri

Cameron’s ability to discuss India-Pakistan relations intelligently will be crucial to an ‘enhanced partnership’ with India On Tuesday David Cameron began his official visit to India – a major step towards establishing an “enhanced partnership”. From India’s perspective, the manner in which he handles questions on India-Pakistan relations and the Kashmir dispute will determine whether [...]

Video: Catalonia bans bullfighting

Demonstrators gathered outside the Catalan parliament in Barcelona before legislators voted to outlaw the sport in one of Spain’s most famous semi-autonomous regions

Remembering the working-class martyrs of Llanelli | Tim Evans

The deaths of two innocent men during the 1911 Llanelli rail strike deserve to be commemorated on the centenary A rifle shot rings out. The men by the garden wall stand their ground. “It’s OK,” one shouts out. “It’s only a blank!” There is laughter. “It’s all right – they’ve only got blank cartridges,” someone [...]

Coalition plans will safeguard universal jurisdiction over war crimes

Private citizens will still be able to obtain arrest warrants against visiting politicians, but not on the basis of flimsy evidence Michael Mansfield QC claims that “the coalition intends to circumscribe the doctrine of universal jurisdiction so that it will be far more difficult to bring anyone accused of serious human rights violations before the [...]

Immigration cap is to the fore as David Cameron visits Bangalore

Alan Travis examines why Indian IT staff are at the centre of the debate over the coalition government’s immigration cap Like the old Access credit card adverts, David Cameron’s immigration cap is proving to be his “flexible friend”. Thousands of Indian IT graduate staff are at the heart of the debate over Cameron’s cap not [...]

Japanese oil tanker damaged in Gulf explosion

Owners believe incident in waters off Oman could have been terrorist attack A Japanese oil tanker loaded with crude has been damaged in an explosion in the Gulf, and the owners of the vessel blamed a possible terrorist attack for the blast. The M Star was carrying around 2.3m barrels of crude in waters off [...]

Plane crash in Pakistan

An Airblue plane with 150 people on board has crashed in a ball of flames in densely wooded hills while trying to land in Islamabad during bad weather

Is BP now over the worst?

With a new chief executive appointed, has BP turned the corner on the Gulf of Mexico disaster?

Eyewitness: Divers in the Bahamas

Photographs from the Guardian Eyewitness series

Ansel Adams factor takes $45 jumble sale find to $200m

Old negatives bought by California painter are said to be work of famed photographer – though Adams trust denies it It’s an antique collector’s dream: buying an old box at a garage sale and discovering it contains famous lost works worth a fortune. That’s what Rick Norsigian said happened to him. Ten years ago the [...]

China’s Three Gorges dam close to limit as heavy rains persist

Flooding across the country has left 1,200 dead or missing Record high water levels are putting the capacity of China’s massive Three Gorges dam to the test after heavy rains across the country, compounding flooding problems that have left more than 1,200 people dead or missing. The dam’s water flow reached 56,000 cubic metres per [...]

India’s $35 tablet: a stalled revolution | Suhasini Sakhare

India’s new $35 tablet computer needs manufacturing success and demand if it is to revolutionise IT literacy – it has neither Kapil Sibal, India’s minister for human resource development, recently announced that Indian scientists had developed a tablet computer that could be manufactured for just $35. The device has been developed primarily for students and [...]

Come dancing, summa cum laude | Richard Adams

The discreet charm of the bourgeoisie, via the New York Times’ Sunday ‘wedding and celebration’ section Among of the few joys of the New York Times Sunday edition is its baroque “weddings and celebrations” section, a distillation of the modern American bourgeoisie. Apart from the voyeurism, it’s usually worth reading for what Jon Stewart might [...]

West spreads its evil tentacles into Iran | Media Monkey

Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says media sensation and front-cover starlet Paul the Octopus – as if he needs an introduction – spreads “Western propaganda and superstition”, according to the Daily Mail. He said that Paul represents decadence and decay among Iran’s enemies. “Those who believe in this type of thing cannot be leaders of the [...]

Video: Spectacular Formula Truck crash interrupts race in Brazil

A spectacular crash interrupted a race of Brazil’s Formula Truck when Driver Bruno Junqueira lost his brakes

Explosion hits plastics factory in Nanjing, China

Hundreds were injured when a blast damaged houses and vehicles around a disused chemical plant

David Cameron on tour

A selection of images from David Cameron’s trip to Turkey and India

EasyJet puts volcano costs at £65m

Despite the volcanic ash disruption, Easyjet said that revenues in the three months to end June rose more than 5%, to £759.2m and it expects to make a profit for the year as a whole of between £100m and £150m The volcanic ash cloud this spring cost easyJet £65m as the budget airline was forced [...]

Condoleezza Rice and Aretha Franklin perform duet in charity concert

Respect mutual between surprise pairing of former Republican secretary of state and the Queen of Soul It was an unlikely pairing. Stage left, Condoleezza Rice, the former Republican darling, a classically trained pianist and academic perhaps better known as George Bush’s enforcer. Stage right, Aretha Franklin the Queen of Soul, the voice of black emancipation [...]

Ethnic cleansing in the Israeli Negev | Neve Gordon

The razing of a Bedouin village by Israeli police shows how far the state will go to achieve its aim of Judaising the Negev region A menacing convoy of bulldozers was heading back to Be’er Sheva as I drove towards al-Arakib, a Bedouin village located not more than 10 minutes from the city. Once I [...]

A new proposal for assisted dying | Joel Joffe

A change in the law is needed. Assisted suicide, but not voluntary euthanasia, should be allowed The question: Do we have a right to death? For the overwhelming majority of terminally ill patients, the solution to their suffering is quality palliative care, which I enthusiastically support. But there is a small but significant minority of [...]

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