A Roman Catholic cardinal who was once a close ally of Pope Francis has gone on trial in the Vatican, accused of misusing Church funds in a ruinous London property venture. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 73, is the most senior cleric in modern times to face trial for alleged financial crimes. He is charged with spending €350m (£299m; $412m) of church money on a botched deal to buy a property in Chelsea that incurred huge losses. He denies wrongdoing. Cardinal Becciu was sacked by the Pope in September, as reports of financial misdeeds emerged. A two-year investigation exposed how the Vatican lost millions of euros, including donations from worshippers, after buying a former Harrods warehouse in Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, in 2014. The cardinal was formerly in charge of donations at the secretariat which handles Vatican funds.(BBC)…[+]
english news
Nigerian outrage at brazen bandit attacks
Nigerians refer to them as bandits – a word that does not quite do justice to what are in fact networks of sophisticated criminals who operate across large swathes of northern-western and central Nigeria. Gangs on motorbikes terrorise the region, stealing animals, kidnapping for ransom, killing anyone who dares confront them and taxing farmers – it’s a huge money-making operation. Over the last four years the security forces have not been able to get a handle on the situation, which millions of Nigerians feel is out of control. Last week President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Dutsinma-to-Tsaskiya road in his home state of Katsina but few people dare travel on it after countless attacks.(BBC)…[+]
Unesco adds Madrid’s Paseo del Prado and Retiro Park to heritage list
One of Europe’s most famous streets, the tree-lined Paseo del Prado in the Spanish capital Madrid, has been added to the Unesco World Heritage list – along with the adjoining Retiro Park. The UN’s cultural organisation said it was in recognition of the key roles both had played in the city’s history. Paseo del Prado is home to several prestigious buildings, among them the Prado Museum. Unesco described the locations as a landscape of arts and sciences. It said the Paseo featured several prominent structures including squares with historic marble sculptures and fountains such as the Plaza de Cibeles, which it described as “an iconic symbol of the city”.(BBC)…[+]
Afghanistan: Record civilian casualties in 2021, UN reports
Afghan civilians were killed or injured at record levels in the first half of this year as violence escalated, the UN says. A new report says Afghanistan recorded more than 1,600 civilian deaths so far in 2021. That’s a 47% rise compared with this time last year. And the UN warns the number of deaths could rise still further. Government forces have been fighting Taliban insurgents, who now control large parts of the country. Most international forces have withdrawn after a mission lasting nearly 20 years. Casualties in May and June rose to their highest for this period since the UN began recording the numbers in 2009. According to the UN report, anti-government forces were responsible for 64% of civilian casualties. Pro-government forces accounted for 25%, and 11% are blamed on crossfire. Of all casualties, 32% were children. Peace talks between the two sides are moving slowly. Deborah Lyons, the UN special envoy for Afghanistan, urged both sides to “take heed of the conflict’s grim and chilling trajectory”. “The report provides a clear warning that unprecedented numbers of Afghan civilians will perish and be maimed this year if the increasing violence is not stemmed,” she said in the UN release.(BBC)…[+]
Indonesia: Covid-positive man boards flight disguised as wife
A Covid-positive Indonesian man who disguised himself as his wife to board a domestic flight was caught mid-air. The man, who has only been identified by his initials, DW, wore a full-face veil known as a niqab to board. He was also carrying his wife’s passport and her negative Covid test result. He may never have been caught if he had not changed into his regular clothes midway through the flight, causing a stewardess to raise the alarm. Most airlines have restricted travel during the Eidh al-Adha holiday which began on 19 July. Police told reporters that the man was detained after the plane landed and was tested immediately. Upon discovering he was positive for the virus, he was ordered to self-isolate at home.(BBC)…[+]
Man rescued in Alaska after week-long bear attack ordeal
A man has been rescued in Alaska after desperately flagging down help having been attacked and harassed by a grizzly bear for a week. US Coast Guard officials were alerted by an SOS message on a shack roof and spotted a man waving his arms in the air calling for help. The man told them he had been attacked by a bear and hadn’t slept for days after it kept coming back to his camp. He was found with chest bruising and an injured leg he had taped up. The helicopter crew had been on their way to fly a team of scientists on a wildlife research mission when they were diverted off-course by weather and spotted the distress message. According to the New York Times, the man had almost run out of ammunition for his gun and the door of the shack where he was staying had been ripped off.(BBC)…[+]
Covid vaccine: Eight-week gap seen as sweet spot for Pfizer jab antibodies
A longer gap between first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine makes the body’s immune system produce more infection-fighting antibodies, UK researchers have found. Experts say the findings support the UK’s decision on extending dosing intervals from the initial recommendation of three weeks. An eight-week gap seems to be the sweet spot for tackling the Delta variant. The UK initially extended the dosing gap to 12 weeks at the end of 2020. But as the vaccination programme has been rolled out through the age groups – everyone over 18 has now been offered at least their first jab – people have been encouraged to bring their second jab forward and get it after eight weeks.(BBC)…[+]
Nord Stream 2: US and Germany reach deal on controversial Russian gas pipeline
The US says it has reached a deal with Germany to prevent Russia from using its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as political leverage over Europe. The near-complete 1,230km (764 miles) pipeline under the Baltic Sea will double Russian gas exports to Germany. US official Victoria Nuland said it was “a bad pipeline”, but said the deal envisaged sanctions against Moscow if it tried to blackmail Ukraine. Ukraine says the Nord Stream 2 pipeline threatens its security. The country has been fighting Russian-backed separatists in the east since 2014. Russia also annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Kyiv fears a full-scale Russian invasion once Nord Stream 2 is fully operational. Ukraine also stands to lose about $3bn (£2.2bn) a year in gas transit fees. Poland is also opposing the pipeline, which runs from Vyborg in Russia under the Baltic Sea to Lubmin in Germany. Poland says the $10bn project threatens the security of central and eastern Europe.(BBC)…[+]
YouTube removes Bolsonaro videos for Covid misinformation
YouTube says it has removed videos posted by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, because they spread misinformation about coronavirus. The tech giant said its decision was not based on ideology or politics, but on its content policies. Since the start of the pandemic, the president has spoken out against lockdowns, masks and vaccinations. His office has not commented on YouTube’s decision, which affects 15 videos, local media say. His channel features weekly national addresses, and conversations with ministers about various issues – some of which are live-streamed. According to news outlet O Globo, one video shows Eduardo Pazuello, Brazil’s former health minister, comparing coronavirus with Aids.
“Post-HIV pandemic, HIV continues to exist. There are still some who are contaminated, most are treated, and life goes on,” said Mr Pazuello. In another video of a CNN broadcast, a Brazilian doctor recommended hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, and the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as treatments against Covid-19. So far their efficacy in treating the virus is unproven.(BBC)…[+]
Pegasus: Princess Latifa and Princess Haya numbers ‘among leaks’
Phone numbers used by two Dubai princesses have reportedly been found as part of an investigation into the phone hacking spyware known as Pegasus. Princess Latifa is the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, and Princess Haya Bint al-Hussain is his former wife. In mid-February, BBC Panorama broadcast a secret video from Princess Latifa in which she said she was being held as a hostage and feared for her life. Princess Haya meanwhile fled Dubai in 2019 saying she feared for her life. The UAE has denied both women’s allegations. Their numbers are apparently on a list of some 50,000 phone numbers of people believed to be of interest to clients of Israeli-based firm NSO Group. The list was leaked to major news outlets. The discovery of the princesses’ phone numbers on the list – and those of some acquaintances – has raised questions about whether they could have been the possible target of a government client of the group.(BBC)…[+]
