Canadian-born rock star Neil Young has said his application for US citizenship has been delayed partly because he smokes marijuana. Young says he passed the citizenship test but was told he had to take another to prove “moral character”.

In April, the US government clarified that using marijuana and other drugs was a “bar to establishing good moral character for naturalisation”. Young, who turns 74 this week, has lived in the US since the mid-1960s. In a post on his website, Young described passing the citizenship test after “a conversation where I was asked many questions” that he “answered truthfully”.

“I want to be a dual citizen and vote,” he said. “Recently however, I have been told I must do another test, due to my use of marijuana.” On 19 April, the US Department of Homeland Security issued a policy alert clarifying that “violation of federal controlled substance law, including for marijuana, remains a conditional bar to establishing good moral character for naturalisation even where that conduct would not be an offence under state law”. California, where Young lives, legalised cannabis for recreational use in 2018.(BBC)...[+]

Nigel Farage has ditched plans to take on the Tories in more than 300 seats, after what he said was Boris Johnson’s “shift of position” on Brexit. The Brexit Party leader had planned to run candidates in 600 seats after Mr Johnson rejected his offer of a “Leave alliance” to deliver Brexit.

But he has been under pressure not to split the pro-Brexit vote. The party will not now stand in 317 seats won by the Tories in 2017, but will continue to stand elsewhere. Mr Farage said his party would focus its efforts on trying to take seats held by Labour, whom he accused of “betraying” its Leave-supporting voters.

The BBC’s Alex Forsyth said some Brexit Party candidates had expressed concern about Mr Farage’s plan to stand against the Tories in 600 constituencies, fearing it could hand an election victory to Labour and lead to another EU referendum.

Mr Johnson welcomed Mr Farage’s move, calling it “a recognition that there’s only one way to get Brexit done, and that’s to vote for the Conservatives”.

But Tory chairman James Cleverly said there was still a “danger” the Brexit Party could split the Eurosceptic vote in target seats, leading to the election of MPs who could “frustrate the Brexit process”.(BBC)…[+]

A Guyanese family is in deep mourning after one of their own was killed in an apparent murder-suicide.Dead is Donna ‘Rehanna’ Dojoy. Her 33-year-old husband Dinhwar Budhidat was reported to have killed himself on Friday night, shortly after the incident.
The couple was said to have been married in July but were facing domestic problems. According to the New York Daily News, a hysterical cousin alerted cops after the suspected killer, 33-year-old Dinhwar Budhidat, sent her a text saying he had killed his wife and was going to kill himself.
“He texted me he killed her. He didn’t tell me how. Why me? Why’d he have to text me that? He’s such a damn coward,” said Budhidat’s cousin, who asked not to be named. “Why’d he have to do that to the poor girl?”
“The text, it was along the lines of ‘I killed her. I left her in the apartment and I’m gonna go kill myself‚’” said Yogindra Toolaram, another of Budhidat’s cousins.
“I got a phone call from my cousin who got the text he sent. She called me in a panic and we both rushed over here.”
The couple did not live together, said relatives.
When cops arrived just after 8 p.m. at the husband’s home on Albert Rd. near Whitelaw St. in Ozone Park, they found his estranged wife dead of multiple stab wounds in his first floor apartment, said police.(Kaiteur News)…[+]

Australia has warned of a “catastrophic” bushfire threat to areas surrounding Sydney, its largest city. Residents in vulnerable communities are being urged to leave and seek shelter in shopping centres.

At least three people are dead and thousands have been displaced by a weekend of bushfires in Australia. On Sunday more than 100 blazes were still burning across New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. Prime Minister Scott Morrison – who was heckled by a climate change protester as he briefed reporters – refused to be drawn on whether climate change could have contributed to the fires. “My only thoughts today are with those who have lost their lives and their families,” he said.

New South Wales fire authorities has issued the maximum level of warning for the first time since new fire warnings were introduced a decade ago. The “catastrophic” warning is in place across the Sydney metropolitan area – it is Australia’s most populous region, covering over 12,000 sq km (4,600 sq miles) and 658 suburbs.

Authorities also say the Hunter region to the north is at risk from fires.(bbc)…[+]

The governing Socialist Party in Spain looks set to win the most seats in the general election, but fall short of a majority as the first results come in. With more than two thirds of the votes counted, the opposition conservative Popular Party follows in second place, and the far-right Vox party appears to have heavily increased its vote share.

Right-wing parties have the most votes combined, though no majority. Spain has not had a stable government since 2015.  This was the country’s fourth election in as many years. Voter turnout at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT) was 56.8%, almost four points lower than the last general elections in April. Spanish politics has become increasingly fragmented in recent years with the emergence of new parties.(BBC)…[+]

Albion Estate sugar workers yesterday joined the protest for a wage increase noting that they have not received any since 2014. The workers, who went on strike yesterday and protested in front of the Albion Estate, are also contending, that the cost of living has increased and as such they are in need of an increase to afford the cost of living.

McKenzie, a cane harvester for 28 years at the estate, said, “We are out here because of the wage increase, since 2014 we don’t have no increase, it’s …time now that the government should stick to this and make sure we get something.”(stabroeknews)…[+]

A Ukrainian orphan has denied posing as a child and then threatening to kill the US family who had adopted her. Natalia Grace Barnett has denied claims by her former adoptive parents that she is a fully grown woman, close to 30.

“I’m 16,” she said in her first interview. “I was six years old when I came to the United States. I just know that a family came and visited me and after a while, they adopted me.”

Natalia, who has a form of dwarfism, says she had been under the care of several foster families in America before she was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett, who lived in Florida, in 2010. Kristine and Michael have said they were led to believe Natalia was six years old when they adopted her, but doubted her age, believing her to have been closer to 20 at the time. The Barnetts have said they felt threatened by Natalia and eventually moved to Canada without her – but paid a year’s rent on an apartment for her to live alone. Kristine and Michael are currently facing charges of neglect and will stand trial in early 2020.(BBC)…[+]

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned of the dangers posed by Russia and China, and called on Nato to grow and confront “the challenges of today”. On a visit to Berlin, Mr Pompeo said methods used by China to suppress its own people would be “horrifyingly familiar” to East Germans.

And he accused Russia of invading its neighbours and crushing dissent. He laughed off comments from French President Emmanuel Macron, who said recently that Nato was “brain dead”. But Mr Pompeo told reporters: “Seventy years on… it needs to grow and change. It needs to confront the realities of today and the challenges of today. “If nations believe that they can get the security benefit without providing Nato the resources that it needs, if they don’t live up to their commitments, there is a risk that Nato could become ineffective or obsolete.”(BBC)…[+]

A 19-year-old who was charged with three offences including resisting arrest was allowed his pre-trial freedom yesterday. Shamar Nelson pleaded not guilty to all three charges which were read by Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court Five.

Two charges stated that on November 1st, at Mandela Avenue, he used threatening language towards Peace Officer Edward Lowenfield who was executing his duty and on the same date and at the same location he behave disorderly within public hearing.(Stabroek News)…[+]

Bill Gates has become the latest billionaire to express concern for presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren’s plan for a new tax on the super-rich. At a conference, the philanthropist and Microsoft founder said it would stifle business innovation in America.

Ms Warren, a Democratic front-runner in the 2020 presidential race, has offered to meet Mr Gates in response. It comes after criticism of Ms Warren’s policy from figures like Jamie Dimon, head of banking giant JP Morgan. Under the original plan, households with a net worth between $50m (£39m) and $1bn (£780m) will be charged with a 2% “wealth tax” every year. This would rise to 3% for any households with a net worth of over $1bn.

But last week, Ms Warren suggested doubling the latter rate – from 3% to 6%. She said the money raised from this new tax would be used to fund her healthcare plan, which is expected to cost the federal government $20.5tn over 10 years. Mr Gates hit back at the idea during a talk at the New York Times DealBook conference in New York on Wednesday.(BBC)…[+]