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Ethnic violence in north-eastern state has led to more than 100 deaths since breaking out in early MayIndia's home affairs minister, Amit Shah, has called opposition parties for talks on Saturday to discuss an outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur state in the north-east, in a sign that the government has acknowledged the situation has spun out of its control.More than 100 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced since clashes broke out in early May between members of the Kuki ethnic group, who mostly live in the hills, and the Meitei people, the dominant community in the lowlands. Churches, temples, shops and businesses have been destroyed. Continue reading...

Gold Coast auction house sold huge collection including photo album of concentration camps and signed pictures of Hitler ahead of federal ban on display and sale of Nazi symbols

Number of visitors up 367% at start of year with about half born after 1990, according to travel websitesIn the search for a job in a gloomy economy, many young people in China are hoping for divine intervention.According to data released by the Chinese travel platform Qunar, the number of visitors to temple scenic spots increased by 367% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2022. Continue reading...

Greens urged to back government's fund as advocates say housing is needed now and politicians need to start taking action'

Engineer Ron Allum says missing tourist sub unlikely to have suffered a catastrophic implosion' but partial flooding could be preventing it from resurfacing

In today's newsletter: As the search intensifies, we look at the key developments - and controversy - around the lost submersible

Chris Hipkins, who is about to meet the Chinese president on a trip to Beijing for the first time, said China's system of government is a matter for them'New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins has disagreed with US President Joe Biden's remark that Xi Jinping is a dictator", as he prepares to meet the Chinese leader on an official trade trip to China.No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people," Hipkins told reporters when asked about Biden's description. Asked whether the Chinese people had a say in the form their government took, he said: if they wanted to change their system of government, then that would be a matter for them." Continue reading...

Between 1948 and 1996, about 16,500 people were operated on without their consent under a eugenics law, triggering long campaign for redressCampaigners in Japan have reacted angrily to a government report revealing that children as young as nine were among thousands of people who were forcibly sterilised under a eugenics law that was not repealed until the 1990s.The 1,400-page report, submitted to parliament this week, details how, between 1948 and 1996, about 16,500 people were operated on without their consent under the law, which aimed to prevent the birth of poor-quality descendants ... and to protect the life and health of the mother". Most of the victims were women. Continue reading...

Dancers will hold the curtain' at a Melbourne performance on Friday after negotiations to ensure appropriate pay rises failed

Social media users condemned use of AI -generated opening credits for Secret Invasion premiering this week on Disney+Marvel's Secret Invasion, a new television series which launched on Disney+ this week, has received backlash online after it was revealed that its opening credits were generated by artificial intelligence.In an interview with Polygon on Wednesday, director Ali Selim confirmed that AI operated by a company called Method Studios produced the opening sequence to the new series, which stars Samuel L Jackson as Marvel fixture Nick Fury. Continue reading...

EU members agree new sanctions against Russia; Russian president says warheads can soon be deployed for duty. This live blog is closed

Sydney to lead recovery with 6%-9% increase by next June while Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane will surpass or come close to record highs

Operator, which covers trains across north of England and southern Scotland, cancelled more than 90 trains in a day this month

Average height of boys and girls aged five has slipped due to poor diet and NHS cuts, experts sayBritish children who grew up during the years of austerity are shorter than their peers in Bulgaria, Montenegro and Lithuania, a study has found.In 1985, British boys and girls ranked 69 out of 200 countries for average height aged five. At the time they were on average 111.4cm and 111cm tall respectively. Continue reading...

Anger over handling of scandal threatens opposition party's presidential election chancesParents of toddlers in Taiwan have accused teachers at a preschool of drugging their children, in a scandal that threatens to dent the opposition party's chances at the upcoming presidential election.Teachers at Baoren kindergarten, a private preschool in New Taipei City, have been accused of sedating children with addictive cough syrups. Police launched an investigation this month after parents raised concerns about children showing unusual symptoms such as mood swings and cramps. Eight pupils reportedly tested positive for trace amounts of the psychoactive drugs phenobarbital and benzodiazepines. Continue reading...

Sarah Hanson-Young says the opposition's plan is a start but her party wants to ban all gambling advertising on TV

In today's newsletter: Rising inflation and interest rates mean real pain for homeowners - with few signs of relief on the way

Clearest progress in counteroffensive has come north of occupied Mariupol, but Kyiv's troops have paid a high price

Ancient sacred complex said to have been where Julius Caesar assassinated in 44BC can be viewed after development projectAn ancient temple complex in the centre of the Italian capital where, according to legend, the Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated, was opened to the public for the first time on Tuesday.The sacred area" at Largo Argentina square, which until now could only be viewed from street level, contains four temples dating back to the third century BC, as well as the remains of Pompey's theatre, where Caesar was believed to have been stabbed to death by disgruntled senators in 44 BC. Continue reading...

Men's remains recovered in open water on sixth day of search since boat carrying up to 750 people sankGreek authorities have retrieved a further three bodies in open waters near the spot where a fishing trawler packed with Europe-bound migrants sank last week.The bodies - all men - were recovered late on Monday, the sixth day of a search and rescue operation in the area, raising the official death toll to 81. Continue reading...

Comments come as data shows average two-year fixed rate rises to 6.07%, and five-year to 5.72%

Former prime minister censured in his absence, with 354 MPs voting to approve and just seven voting against

MPs today voted to approve the Commons privileges committee’s report into Boris Johnson and his statements to the house on Partygate. The report found that Johnson repeatedly misled parliament about lockdown parties at Downing Street, but many Tory MPs did not vote Continue reading...

MPs endorse privileges committee report censuring former PM by 354 votes to sevenConservative infighting over Boris Johnson misleading the House of Commons about Partygate reached bitter new heights on Monday night, with his supporters being told to hang their heads in shame.Johnson faces being blocked from obtaining special access to parliament after being rounded on by furious Tory MPs in an attempt to “restore faith” in democracy. Continue reading...

The party’s bill allowing adults to possess and grow small quantities of the drug at home will be introduced across Victoria, NSW and WA

Five first-time nominees are among the six authors competing for $60,000 award for novels that ‘present Australian life in any of its phases’

Sgt Laurence Knight met woman in Brighton last July and allegedly raped her in the sea, jury hearsA serving Metropolitan police officer raped a woman in the sea on Brighton beach on his stag night, a court has heard.Sgt Laurence Knight, 34, is said to have met the woman, a stranger, in the early hours of 17 July 2021 while in the city centre. Prosecutors say the pair walked to the beach together, undressed to their underwear and ended up in the sea. Continue reading...

Speech in Scotland shows willingness to face energy dilemma head-on, but green groups say fossil fuel end date must come soonScotland was a brave choice as the venue for the launch of Keir Starmer’s new energy and climate policy. Back in March, Rishi Sunak was planning to hold his “energy day” in Aberdeen, the UK’s oil and gas capital, but after criticism he switched to the much safer Oxfordshire.Starmer knows that Labour needs to win back lost seats in Scotland, so visiting the Scottish capital for an important speech was a canny move. More than that, though, taking the launch to Edinburgh showed a willingness to face head-on Labour’s energy dilemma: how to shift the UK economy to a low-carbon footing, as net zero demands, without destroying high-quality jobs in carbon-intensive industries. Continue reading...

UN says Russia blocking humanitarian aid deliveries following Kakhovka dam rupture; Death toll from flooding caused by collapse of the dam has risen to 16 Continue reading...

Ukraine deputy defence minister says Russia is continuing efforts to occupy the whole of the Donbas

Royal College of Nursing raises doubts over whether enough members will get postal votes in on timeThe rolling strikes by NHS nurses could “hit the end of the road” this week as the leader of the Royal College of Nursing raised doubts over whether sufficient numbers of members would get their postal votes in on time.The RCN union’s ballot on further industrial action in England will close on 23 June but its general secretary, Pat Cullen, has for the first time suggested an affirmative result is in doubt. Continue reading...

Sir Mark Rowley suggests force will investigate again after viewing video of party in December 2020

Olivia Burt, who studied natural sciences at Durham University, suffered an ‘unsurvivable’ head injuryA 20-year-old student died as she was waiting to get into a bar run by the UK’s largest pub company because an “unsuitable” heavy screen was being used to manage the queue.The screen fell and collapsed on Olivia Burt who suffered an “unsurvivable” head injury, a court heard on Monday. Continue reading...

Report comes shortly before an expected apology from King Willem-Alexander in a speech in AmsterdamInside the stables of Paleis Noordeinde in The Hague is a golden coach embellished with images of colonial offerings to Dutch rulers that many, including the current Dutch king, regard as a symbol of exploitation that according to a new study netted three Dutch rulers the equivalent of more than €545m (£465m).Historians have calculated the staggering value of colonial profit for Willem III (also king of England, Ireland and Scotland), Willem IV and Willem V in a report published at the request of the Dutch parliament last week before a widely expected apology over slavery from the Dutch king. Continue reading...

Ex-PM defends austerity programme that unions said meant the NHS ‘didn’t stand a fighting chance’David Cameron has admitted failures in his government’s preparations for a pandemic but defended the austerity drive that he and his chancellor, George Osborne, imposed, saying “your health system is only as strong as your economy”.The former prime minister repeatedly told the Covid inquiry it was a mistake that “more time and more questions” were not focused on tackling what turned out to be a “highly infectious, asymptomatic” pandemic. Continue reading...

Kremlin critic faces charges that could lead to a substantial extension of his jail time

Tracking data indicates two vessels stood by or circled around stationary refugee boat for several hoursTracking data suggests an overcrowded fishing boat that sank off the Greek coast last week with the feared loss of hundreds of lives had not moved for several hours before it capsized, contradicting accounts from the Hellenic coastguard.As Pakistani police said on Monday they believed up to 800 people were onboard, a Guardian analysis of ship movements supplied by the MariTrace service indicated two vessels – the Lucky Sailor and the Faithful Warrior – stood by or circled round the stationary trawler for at least four hours. Continue reading...

British intelligence report comes as Kyiv celebrates liberation of eighth settlement in south of country

German national rail service blames malfunctioning and delays on lack of investment and staff shortagesFirefighters had to rescue about 1,200 passengers onboard a regional express train that broke down south-east of Berlin at the weekend, in the latest in a string of failures and mishaps to befall the national rail service, Deutsche Bahn.The firefighters had to force open the train’s doors to free passengers, some of whom were suffering from heat exhaustion after a lengthy holdup in the train in which the air conditioning failed. Continue reading...

Band cancel open-air Dublin gig on Tuesday, leaving a nervous wait for fans looking forward to Friday’s Glastonbury setAlex Turner, frontman with Arctic Monkeys, is suffering from “acute laryngitis” and the band have been forced to cancel an open-air concert in Dublin on Tuesday.His condition could affect his ability to perform the group’s Glastonbury headline slot on Friday evening, though it is currently scheduled to go ahead. Continue reading...

Luxembourg calls proposal by Sweden ‘astonishing’ as energy ministers gather to discuss overhaulA group of EU countries are fighting attempts by Poland to extend subsidies for coal plants, with Luxembourg’s energy minister describing the proposal as “astonishing”.Luxembourg’s energy minister Claude Turmes said he could not believe the proposal, which was made on Friday, days before a planned summit of energy ministers from across the bloc on Monday, was even on the table given the EU’s commitment to combatting the climate emergency. Continue reading...

Four Palestinians killed and 45 injured, according to Palestinian officials as Israeli army enters city to arrest ‘suspects’The Israeli military used combat helicopters in the occupied West Bank for the first time in years on Monday as an arrest operation in Jenin encountered unexpectedly fierce Palestinian resistance.The heavy fighting intensified calls by settler leaders to call for a broader military campaign in the West Bank. Continue reading...

Defendants allegedly planned attacks on mosques and Jewish targets in France in 2017 and 2018Four men are going on trial in Paris accused of conspiring as a neo-Nazi terrorist group to plan attacks on mosques and Jewish targets in France in 2017 and 2018.An investigation was opened in 2018 after Alexandre Gilet, a 22-year-old volunteer deputy gendarme in Grenoble, allegedly ordered products that could be used in explosive devices. The manager of a fireworks shop found his order suspicious and contacted police. Continue reading...

John Gaffney, whose son Mitchell married Madeleine Edsell last Sunday, calls for mandatory rule on all buses

Move changes purpose of sanctions so that they will be maintained until Russia agrees to pay compensationThe UK is introducing new laws that will allow ministers to maintain Russian sanctions until compensation is paid to Ukraine, thus introducing a way for frozen Russian assets to be donated to Ukrainian reconstruction.The laws go some way to ensuring that Russian assets currently frozen by the UK government can in effect eventually be seized – a move that many western powers have rejected on the basis that it could set a precedent for western assets held overseas to also be seized. Continue reading...

Green groups call on ministers to add environmental baseline to post-Brexit bill, fearing future laws could weaken protectionsGreen groups are calling on ministers to put their commitment not to weaken environmental standards post-Brexit into law as part of the retained EU law bill.Peers are tabling motions on Tuesday for an environmental baseline to be put into the controversial bill, which is designed to formalise which EU-derived legislation is brought permanently into UK law. Continue reading...

Meeting between China’s president and US secretary of state takes place at time of heightened tensionThe US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has wrapped up a rare trip to Beijing where he met China’s president, Xi Jinping, concluding a high-stakes visit aimed at stabilising spiralling relations.Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing before his departure, Blinken said he had “an important conversation” with Xi during the 35-minute encounter and stressed it was the responsibility of both countries to find a path forward. Continue reading...

Hopkins was part of vanguard of ‘hi-tech’ architects who dominated building design in UK and beyondSir Michael Hopkins, one of the leading British architects of his era, has died leaving behind a built legacy including Portcullis House at the Palace of Westminster, the Mound Stand at Lord’s cricket ground and the Jubilee campus at Nottingham University.His wife, Patty Hopkins, with whom he formed Hopkins Architects in 1976, said he had “died peacefully at the age of 88, surrounded by his family”. Continue reading...

Auditor general’s report says bid to tackle cash-in-hand work and tax avoidance measures haven’t worked

Union stops short of fresh strikes but week-long action from 3 July will hit services in England and cross-border trainsThe train drivers’ union Aslef has announced a week-long overtime ban at the start of July, which will further disrupt much of Britain’s railway.While the union has stopped short of calling fresh strikes in the long-running pay dispute, the industrial action by about 12,000 drivers across the 16 English train operators contracted to the Department for Transport is likely to cause more headaches for passengers. Continue reading...