France returns sacred talking drum looted from Côte d’Ivoire over 100 years ago pred 1 dnevom, 20 urami in 17 minutami Djidji Ayôkwé was handed to Ivorian officials in Paris earlier this monthA sacred artefact looted by French colonial authorities more than a century ago has been returned to Côte d’Ivoire in one of the most significant cultural restitutions to a former French colony in years.The Djidji Ayôkwé, a talking drum confiscated in 1916 by French administrators, landed at 8.45am on Friday at the airport in Port Bouët on the outskirts of the economic capital, Abidjan. It was handed over to Ivorian officials in Paris earlier this month after being removed from the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I don’t give a shit about Iran. I don’t want to pay higher gas’: Motor City motorists feel pinch as gas prices surge pred 1 dnevom, 20 urami in 23 minutami Drivers in Detroit are unhappy with the spike in gas prices, even if reactions are mixed to the US-Israel war on IranOn a rainy Detroit afternoon at a gas station off Interstate 75, Victor Rodriguez watched the pump tally tick up as he filled up his F-250 diesel pickup truck for $4.19 per gallon. It totaled $110. “Ridiculous,” he said.The US-Israel war on Iran has crippled major portions of the oil supply chain, sending gas prices soaring as the conflict enters its third week. Rodriguez said he supports “getting rid of this thug”, referring to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by the US, but the cost is too high. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli-backed Palestinian militias step up operations against Hamas in Gaza pred 1 dnevom, 20 urami in 32 minutami Armed groups appear to have increased their firepower as they carry out raids deep in Hamas-controlled territoryPro-Israel Palestinian militia have launched repeated raids, clandestine assassination and abduction operations deep inside parts of Gaza controlled by Hamas in recent months, with new operations launched recently despite the outbreak of conflict with Iran.The militia, which are all based in eastern parts of Gaza that are under Israeli control after a ceasefire came into effect in October, have received significant logistic support from Israel since last year but appear to have increased their firepower, allowing new and more aggressive attacks in recent weeks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Who are the key figures in the sewage crisis, and where are they now? pred 1 dnevom, 21 urami in 23 minutami With anger stoked by Channel 4’s drama Dirty Business, we look at what has happened to some of the main playersWater companies have been in the public eye for the wrong reasons again recently. South West Water was in the dock pleading guilty to supplying water unfit for human consumption, while the regulator fined South East Water £22.5m for repeated supply failures that affected more than 280,000 people over three years.As the full scale of the sewage pollution scandal has been revealed to the public over the past six years, key figures working for the regulators and the privatised companies have been heavily criticised. Channel 4’s drama Dirty Business has focused attention on individuals at the heart of the scandal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cuban president confirms talks with Trump officials amid US blockade pred 1 dnevom, 21 urami in 36 minutami Negotiations aimed to ‘find solutions to the bilateral differences’ between the countries, Miguel Díaz-Canel saidCuban officials have held talks with the US government to seek solutions to the blockade imposed on the Caribbean nation, Miguel Díaz-Canel has said in a video broadcast on national television.“These talks have been aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences we have between the two nations,” Díaz-Canel, the Cuban president, said in the video, which aired on Friday, shortly before he was scheduled to address Cuban media in a rare appearance that comes amid a severe economic crisis and as the Communist government has come under increasing pressure from Donald Trump. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
One family’s harrowing escape to the US – and the Trump government’s relentless efforts to deport them back pred 1 dnevom, 22 urami in 23 minutami Oscar, Ana and their children fled violence for safety in the US. Now Oscar, afraid and alone, is back in Honduras – ‘at the mercy of God and his will’ As soon as Oscar’s deportation flight landed at the La Lima airport in Honduras, he put on his baseball cap. On the airport shuttle toward the terminal, he pulled his cap even lower – trying to obscure his face at various police checkpoints.His parents picked him up in a car, and drove him to a lodging they had arranged for him – miles away from his family home. He has hardly stepped outside since. “Because I can’t trust anyone – not the authorities, not the government, not a police officer,” he said. He has visited his mother a handful of times since the US deported him three weeks ago, and only under the cover of night. “They will kill anyone here. There is death everywhere.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A minefield’: taoiseach prepares for St Patrick’s Day visit to Washington pred 1 dnevom, 22 urami in 28 minutami Traditionally jovial affair poses potential debacle for Irish leader at odds with US over foreign policy, tax and immigrationFor Ireland’s leaders, it has long been the highlight of the political calendar: a love-fest in Washington with hosts who sport shamrocks and toast Saint Patrick.Irish delegations are traditionally received on Capitol Hill and at the White House in a blaze of goodwill and backslapping that has them wishing every day was 17 March. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sons were suspects in nearly one in five cases of women killed by men in UK in past year pred 1 dnevom, 22 urami in 36 minutami Figures recorded by Femicide Census in past 12 months indicate highest rate of matricide in 16 yearsThe names of 19 women believed to have been killed by their sons in the last year were read out in parliament on Thursday, as research showed that almost one in five women killed by men since the last International Women’s Day were suspected victims of matricide.For the 11th year running, Jess Phillips read out the names of the 108 women killed in the UK by men – or where a man has been charged – in the past 12 months. In keeping with previous years, she had to request special dispensation to speak beyond the time given to each MP in the International Women’s Day parliamentary debate, because reading the names took more than five minutes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weather tracker: Southern France under yellow alert after severe thunderstorms pred 1 dnevom, 22 urami in 57 minutami US also sees active few days of severe convective storms, while record breaking heat recorded in parts of South AfricaOn Monday 9 March, severe thunderstorms affected parts of southern France, with several departments including Hérault, Var, and the Alpes-Maritimes put under yellow alert for heavy rain.Some of the heaviest rainfall totals came from a cell that passed over the Var department. Examples of high rainfall totals taken from some private weather stations come from the towns of Carqueiranne and Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, where 104.4mm was recorded in seven and a half hours, and 92.7mm in three hours respectively. However, as these are private weather stations, they may contain measurement errors. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reeves vows to ‘crack down’ on energy and fuel bosses exploiting Britons through ‘rip-off’ prices – UK politics live pred 1 dnevom, 22 urami in 58 minutami The chancellor is set to meet with energy bosses over concerns that companies are profiteering from oil and gas pricesAlso this morning, the Conservative party has continued to accuse the government of a “cover-up” over the release of files relating to Peter Mandelson becoming US ambassador.In a letter to the standards watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus, shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart suggested there was “missing” correspondence in the published material. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
