David Shadrach

Syria blame game continues after failed Geneva talks NEWS / SYRIA'S CIVIL WAR  READ MORE Syrian children suffer in camps, no relief in sight Middle East Syria's Civil War, The UN-backed conference aims to end Syria's war by bringing together the Syrian government and the opposition [Erik De Castro/Reuters] The United States has urged the Syrian government to "participate fully" in negotiations with the opposition, while a Syrian official blamed opposition preconditions for yet another failed round of talks in Geneva . Referring to the negotiations, which ended in the Swiss city on Thursday without any results, the US state department commended the Syrian opposition's "constructive participation", which it said stood in contrast to the "obstructionism and procrastination" of the government delegation. "We support [UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan] de Mistura's call for the regime's supporters to use their leverage to urge the...

Protests held across world against US Jerusalem move NEWS / JERUSALEM  Battle for Jerusalem Jerusalem Palestine Middle East, Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza as thousands of people protest in the occupied Palestinian territories and across the world over the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Another was critically wounded by Israeli forces in Ramallah after an alleged stabbing attempt. More than a week after US President Donald Trump announced the decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, anger among Palestinians and their supporters continues to grow. After Friday prayers concluded at the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem , hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets to demonstrate but were prevented from entering the Old City by barricades put up by Israelis. Advertisement Marches also took place to the north in Ramallah and in Bethlehem, where protesters faced off with Israeli soldiers. Protests spread to t...

Trump criticises Roy Moore after Alabama loss NEWS / POLITICS  United States Politics US & Canada, After congratulating the Democratic candidate, Doug Jones, for winning the Alabama election , Trump wrote some tweets critical of the Republican candidate and his loss. US President Donald Trump has distanced himself from Roy Moore with a series of tweets after the Republican suffered a historic defeat for the party in conservative Alabama. The loss also narrows the Republican majority in the Senate to 51-49, which could complicate Trump's future legislative plans. Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reports from the White House.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to marry on 19 May 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding will be held on Saturday 19 May 2018, Kensington Palace has announced. The pair confirmed their engagement in November and said the service would be at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The date breaks with tradition as royal weddings usually take place on a weekday - the Queen wed on a Thursday and the Duke of Cambridge on a Friday. The wedding will be on the same day as the FA Cup Final, which Prince William normally attends as FA president. The time of the match has yet to be confirmed, but in recent years it has taken place at 17:30 GMT. The prince and the actress Who is Meghan Markle? A royal wedding guide to the cast of Suits What happens at Christmas with the royals? The Royal Family will pay for the wedding, including the service, music, flowers and reception. Ms Markle will be baptised into the Church of England and confirmed before the wedding. Earlier this week, Kensingt...

Will Australia end celibacy in the Catholic Church? NEWS / HUMAN RIGHTS  Australia Human Rights Religion, A five-year inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in Australia has called for sweeping changes to be made, including recommending an end to mandatory celibacy in the Catholic Church. The Australian Royal Commission estimates tens of thousands of children have been abused in Australian institutions over the last 90 years. It is still not clear if this recommendation to end celibacy will be followed through by the Australian government. Andrew Thomas reports from Sydney.

Disney buys 21st Century Fox in a massive deal NEWS / UNITED STATES  US & Canada United States SIGN UP The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire most of the assets of 21st Century Fox. The transaction is valued at roughly $52bn and could change the way viewers around the world watch movies and TV.

France Millas train crash: Children killed as bus cut in two A train and a school bus have collided near Perpignan in southern France, leaving at least four children dead and many other people injured. Twenty people were injured and 10 of them were in a critical condition, after the crash on a level crossing between Millas and Saint-Féliu-d'Amont. The bus had picked up pupils, aged between 13 and 17, from a nearby secondary school before it was hit. Pictures from the scene showed the bus split in two by the force of the crash. Train operator SNCF said witnesses had reported seeing the barriers at the level crossing down at the time of the collision, although that was not confirmed. The bus, which had left the Christian Bourquin College in Millas, was on the crossing when it was hit by the train, which was travelling from Perpignan at around 80km/h (50mph). Visibility was described as good. A witness who was on the train told local news website l'Indépendant that "it was a ...

Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa calls for an end to sanctions NEWS / ZIMBABWE  Africa Zimbabwe Zimbabwe's new president is calling for the removal of international sanctions and is promising to do more to tackle corruption. This announcement comes before an extraordinary meeting of the ruling Zanu PF party on Friday in which key policies will be outlined.

Roger Federer wins 2017 BBC Overseas Sports Personality award for record fourth time 15 Dec BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017 Date: Sunday, 17 December Time: 18:45 GMT Venue: Echo Arena, Liverpool Coverage: BBC One, Radio 5 live, BBC Sport website Tennis star Roger Federer has won the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year for a record fourth time after a public vote. The 36-year-old Swiss topped the poll ahead of five other shortlisted nominees. Federer became the first man to win Wimbledon eight times and extended his record to 19 Grand Slam titles in 2017. Boxer Muhammad Ali and athlete Usain Bolt are the only other people to have won the BBC award three times. Federer said: "It makes me incredibly proud that the UK public have chosen me as the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. "The support that the UK crowds give me whenever I'm here is amazing, and to be recognised on the shortlist alongside some of the greatest sportspeople of all time is extre...

US calls for global 'coalition' to counter Iran NEWS / UN  United States UN Iran Middle East Nuclear weapons Haley said an Iranian-made missile was fired at Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthi rebels [Yuri Gripas/Reuters] The US ambassador to the UN has called for an international coalition to counter Iran's influence in the Middle East, while accusing the country of "fanning the flames of conflict" in the region. Nikki Haley, standing in front of what she said were the remnants of Iranian-made weapons, said the US has found evidence that Iranian ballistic missiles were transferred to, and used by, the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, a violation of Tehran's international obligations. "In this warehouse is concrete evidence of illegal Iranian weapons proliferation gathered from direct military attacks on our partners in the region," Haley said during a news conference in a military hangar near Washington DC on Thursday. The US is going to "build a c...

Russia a 'risk' to undersea cables, defence chief warns The UK's most senior military officer has warned of a new threat posed by Russia to communications and internet cables that run under the sea. Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the chief of the defence staff, said Britain and Nato needed to prioritise protecting the lines of communication. He said it would be an "immediately and potentially catastrophic" hit to the economy if they were cut or disrupted. The cables criss-cross the seabed, connecting up countries and continents. Could Russian submarines cut off the internet? How much of a threat does Russia pose? Four facts about undersea cables Speaking to the Royal United Services Institute defence think tank, Sir Stuart said the vulnerability of undersea lines posed a "new risk to our way of life". "In response to the threat posed by the modernisation of the Russian navy, both nuclear and conventional submarines and ships, we along with our ...

Brexit: EU leaders set to move talks on to next stage EU leaders are expected to formally agree to start the next phase of Brexit negotiations later. It means talks can move on to the long-term relationship between the UK and EU, days after Theresa May suffered her first defeat in the House of Commons. The next round of talks on a transition period after the UK leaves in March 2019 could begin as early as next week. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said this process would be "significantly harder". Mrs May was applauded by other leaders at dinner in Brussels on Thursday night after she made a speech urging the two sides to embrace the way ahead with "creativity and ambition". Brexitcast: What next? Can Leavers and Remainers call Christmas truce? What the EU Withdrawal Bill will do UK to stay in Erasmus scheme until at least 2020 The European Commission has said "sufficient progress" has been made on the first phase to move onto discussing ...

Trump's Jerusalem move: Obstacles for US embassy plans NEWS / PALESTINE  Middle East Palestine Politics, President Trump's decision to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is without precedent, but the plan is not new. During the Reagan administration, a piece of West Jerusalem was leased to the American government and may become the new location of the US embassy to Israel. However, several Palestinian families say the land in West Jerusalem is theirs, they have the documents to prove it and they still hope they will get it back. The international community does not recognise the contested city as Israel's capital.

United Kingdom still split over Brexit negotiations NEWS / UNITED KINGDOM  Europe United Kingdom Politic, UK Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered a major blow to her authority, after MPs voted in favour of a Brexit measure she strongly opposed. One and a half years after the referendum the country is still split roughly down the middle. A dozen government MPs sided with the opposition to require a parliamentary vote on the UK's final Brexit deal with the European Union. May had promised parliament what she called a "meaningful vote" on Brexit, but opposed moves to make that vote binding. The amendment passed by four votes, and is likely to complicate May's efforts to negotiate Britain's departure from the EU.

Harvey Weinstein: Salma Hayek alleges he threatened to kill her Actress Salma Hayek has described Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein as a rage-fuelled "monster", alleging he sexually harassed and threatened her. Writing in the New York Times , Hayek said Weinstein once told her: "I will kill you, don't think I can't." Holly Baird, a spokeswoman for Mr Weinstein, disputed Hayek's account. Dozens of actresses, including Rose McGowan, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused Weinstein of harassment or assault. Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex. How Weinstein scandal unfolded Writing in the New York Times, Hayek, 51, described working with the film mogul on what she called her "greatest ambition" - telling the story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. She wrote that, after striking a deal with Weinstein for the rights of the film that would eventually become 2002's Frida, she was forced to repeatedly refuse sexual advances...

Donald Trump tumbles to earth with a bump Jon Sopel North America editor. For Roy Moore it looks like the next time he saddles up his horse it will be to ride off into the sunset. The maverick Christian conservative who enjoyed the full-throated supported of Steve Bannon, the slightly-more-tempered endorsement of Donald Trump and the outright antipathy of certain sections of the GOP, has failed in the reddest of red states. So how much should be read into this defeat? Needless to say - and understandably - most of the attention will fall on the humiliation this represents to Donald Trump, but the bigger loser is his erstwhile White House head of strategy Steve Bannon. Alabama was to be the Petri dish for next November's mid-term elections. Alabama would show that rabble-rousing, right-wing, anti-establishment, swamp-draining insurgents could take on the Republican Party grandees in primary races and then cruise to victory afterwards in the main election against the Democrats. Well...

Trump's Jerusalem move: 'A blunder with consequences' NEWS / MAHMOUD ABBAS  READ MORE Trump's Jerusalem move: All the latest updates READ MORE OIC declares East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital READ MORE Why Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel OPINION Trump Jerusalem move hinders US interests in the region by Khalid Al-Jaber,Giorgio Cafiero Jerusalem Mahmoud Abbas Donald Trump United States Middle East Tens of thousands have protested against the US d ecision in different countries [Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo] Washington, DC - President Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem is a blunder driven by domestic US polices, but with international strategic consequences, Middle East analysts and former US diplomats say. The US president, shortly after coming into office nearly a year ago, had raised some hopes of a renewed Middle East peace process by holding a series of meetings with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Washington, Bethlehem...

Tillerson calls on North Korea to engage in US talks NEWS / NORTH KOREA  United States North Korea China South Korea Asia Pacific Tillerson has been accused of 'wasting his time' in trying to negotiate with North Korea by US President Donald Trump [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the United States is willing to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without "precondition". Tillerson, speaking on Tuesday at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, stated the US "cannot accept" a nuclear-armed North Korea but called on the two countries to begin a dialogue. "We're ready to talk anytime North Korea would like to talk, and we're ready to have the first meeting without precondition," he said. "It's not realistic to say we're only going to talk if you come to the table ready to give up your [nuclear weapons] programme." Tillerson added that North Korea has "too much invested"...

Trump's Jerusalem move reignites Palestinian cause NEWS / PALESTINE  From Syria to Indonesia: Protests over Jerusalem spread Palestinian leaders face growing criticism over US Jerusalem move READ MORE Why there can never be a two-state solution Israeli–Palestinian conflict Palestine Middle East Israel Tens of thousands have protested against the US decision in different continents [Sean Gallup/Getty Images] US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US embassy to the city from Tel Aviv has reignited the Palestinian cause, according to analysts. Breaking with years of US policy, Trump announced the move on December 6, drawing international condemnation and sparking a wave of heated protests around the world. No country currently has its embassy in Jerusalem. The status of Jerusalem has long remained a sensitive topic and one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Trump's decision has "touched the ne...

Roy Moore defeat: Democrat Doug Jones wins in Alabama Senate upset Doug Jones has become the first Democrat in 25 years to win a US Senate seat for Alabama after a bitter campaign against Republican Roy Moore. His unexpected victory deals a blow to President Donald Trump, who backed Mr Moore, and narrows the Republican majority in the Senate to 51-49. Mr Moore has so far refused to concede. All votes have now been counted. He fought a controversial campaign, in which allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct with teenage girls. Mr Moore, a firebrand conservative who has said he believes that homosexual activity should be illegal, has repeatedly denied the claims against him. The contest was for the seat vacated by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this year. A flawed candidate - or an anti-Trump wave? Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington Alabama will have a Democrat in the US Senate. It's an outcome that seemed all but impossible a year ago and still seemed unlikely even a...