The idea was to crush his spirit': family of jailed British-Egyptian man describe awful prison conditionsAs Alaa Abd el-Fattah's mother remains on hunger strike, supporters say activist's continued detention is campaign of vengeance by Egypt's presidentFamily, friends and supporters of the jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah have spoken about the conditions of his long imprisonment as his mother, Laila Soueif, remains in a London hospital in declining health on a hunger strike to secure his release.Amid a mounting campaign to put pressure on British ministers to intervene more forcefully on Abd el-Fattah's behalf, supporters say his continued detention is part of a campaign of vengeance motivated by the personal animus of the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, towards him. Continue reading...
250 days on hunger strike: Can Laila Soueif secure her son's freedom? - podcastWho is Alaa Abd el-Fattah and why are British diplomats trying to obtain his release? Patrick Wintour reportsLaila Soueif, 69, has been on hunger strike in London for more than 250 days in an effort to secure the release of her son, the activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, from jail in Egypt. As diplomatic pressure mounts, she is now in a critical condition.Alaa's sister Mona Seif describes to Michael Safi the toll that imprisonment has taken on her brother, her mother's determination to do whatever she can to secure his release, and the difficulty of coming to terms with her mother's decision to risk her life. Continue reading...
Weather tracker: Storms make way for summer heat in EuropeFlorence in Italy could hit 39C as hot weather sweeps continent, while parts of South Africa brace for snowThe severe thunderstorms that have been lashing parts of Europe over recent days are expected to give way to high temperatures this week. Several regions could climb to 10C (50F) above seasonal norms, with Italy braced for the full force of the heat. Florence in Tuscany is forecast to soar to a sweltering 39C on Thursday and across the weekend.Germany, France and Belgium will also face hot weather from Wednesday, with widespread highs at least 9C above the June average. Many other parts of Europe are forecast to experience temperatures 5-7C above normal. This is the result of a high-pressure system creating a heat dome over the region, whereby sinking air compresses and warms as it descends, trapping heat near the surface. Continue reading...
Kenya tells tea factories to cut ties with Rainforest Alliance due to costsGovernment says ethical certification is adding financial strain on smallholders rather than being paid by customersThe Kenyan government has told its tea factories to stop working with the Rainforest Alliance because it says the costs involved in securing the ethical label don't add up for farmers.The non-profit organisation is one of the world's most recognisable certification schemes with its green frog seal on food packaging a sign consumers "can feel confident that these products support a better world". Continue reading...
'The US was our El Dorado': Africans on Trump's travel bans and taxesAlready affected by US aid cuts, many Africans now face limits on travel to US and looming remittance taxWhen Essi Farida Geraldo, a Lomé-based architect, heard about partial restrictions on travel to the US from Togo as part of the travel bans announced by Donald Trump on Thursday, she lamented losing access to what many young Togolese consider to be a land of better opportunities."The United States was the Togolese's El Dorado," Geraldo said. "Many people go to work in the US to save money and support their families or projects in Africa … This will force the country to really develop stronger partnerships that exclude the US." Continue reading...
Cuba's students call for resignations and strikes after brutal internet price hikeStudents say rise in prices was trigger but underlying anger was communist government's increasing reliance on USDHaving endured electricity blackouts, water shortages, transport failures and the spiralling cost of food, Cuba's students appear to have finally lost patience with their government over a ferocious price hike for the country's faltering internet.Local chapters of Cuba's Federation of University Students (FEU) have been calling for a slew of measures, including attendance strikes, explanations from ministers and even the resignation of their own organisation's president. Continue reading...
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