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Netflix film, which has been called ‘startling’ by source author Joyce Carol Oates, stars Ana de Armas as the tragic actorThe first trailer has launched for Blonde, Netflix’s controversial biopic of Marilyn Monroe.Directed by Andrew Dominik, best known for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, the film stars Ana de Armas as the tragic star and is based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer prize. Continue reading...

Unions accuse transport secretary of threats and intimidation of workers, and government of trying to make political capital out of the strikeThe transport secretary has told rail staff not to “risk striking yourself out of a job” just days before industrial action that will close much of the railway next week.In a speech in which Grant Shapps said he was “appealing directly to workers” instead of unions, he claimed the strikes were “a bid to derail reforms that are critical to the network’s future, and designed to inflict damage at the worst possible time”. Continue reading...

Bold experiment uses sport to boost social mobility while bringing organised games to state schoolsSt Paul’s and Winchester are facing a new rivalry at fives – the handball game that for hundreds of years has largely been the preserve of the most rarified public schools.Children at Stoke Newington school in Hackney, east London, are leading a new wave of state school rugby fives players who have started training to take on their privileged counterparts in matches that will reach across one of the UK’s most entrenched social divides. Continue reading...

Ethics adviser who quit says PM asked him to consider matter that risked deliberate breach of ministerial code

The Oscar-winning comedian and actor accused the streamer of racial and sexual discrimination over a proposed comedy specialMo’Nique and Netflix reportedly have settled her lawsuit that accused the streaming service of racial and sexual discrimination for allegedly making her a lowball offer for a proposed comedy special.The matter has been “amicably resolved,” Michael Parks, an attorney representing Mo’Nique in the suit, told the Hollywood Reporter. Continue reading...

Landlords’ deal creates company with combined portfolio value of £5bn in heart of West EndThe West End landlords Shaftesbury and Capital & Counties have agreed to merge, creating a property company with a combined portfolio value of £5bn in the heart of London.It will be called Shaftesbury Capital, and own swaths of London’s West End, including Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, Chinatown and Soho. Shaftesbury shareholders will own 53% of the group while Capital & Counties (Capco) investors will own 43%. Continue reading...

Colleagues call for journalist and Indigenous activist’s work to be inspiration to others

Centrica says Equinor will deliver enough gas for next three years to heat 4.5m extra homesThe British Gas owner, Centrica, has signed an agreement with Norway’s state oil company Equinor for additional gas supplies for the UK, helping bolster supply for the next three winters.Many European countries are seeking to secure additional gas from other sources as they try to reduce reliance on Russian fuel imports. Continue reading...

Hollywood actor, 62, goes to court in London after being accused of assaulting three menThe actor Kevin Spacey has appeared in a London magistrates court charged with sexual assault against three men, which his lawyer said he “strenuously denies”.The Hollywood star gave his name as Kevin Spacey Fowler, his date of birth as 26 July 1959, and an address in Waterloo, London. Continue reading...

Minister for Indigenous Australians tells crowd to ‘be loud and proud’ in expressing support for referendum

Secret Barrister points out lack of resources and years-long waits for trial, after Dominic Raab announces pilotThe announcement of three specialist courtrooms to prosecute rape cases has been dismissed as a “gimmick” that does not address the chronic underfunding of the justice system that led to a fall in convictions.Crown courts in Newcastle, Leeds and Snaresbrook, London, will take part in a pilot where staff, police and prosecutors working on serious sex offence cases will receive specialist trauma training. The government also said independent sexual violence advisers would be made available to survivors during the pilot. Continue reading...

International courts not in a position to award compensation and UN would have no enforcement power, says UK thinktank

Newly elected convener Linda Gale co-authored a 2019 document described as ‘inconsistent with Greens values’

Omar Khorshid says Australians ‘have a right to know’ what is discussed, ahead of Anthony Albanese’s meeting with states and territories

Risk of electricity shortages recedes further after Daniel Andrews blames ‘dysfunctional’ market for energy crisis; Penny Wong says Australia ‘has ground to make up’ in Pacific region; jobless rate steady at 3.9%; nation records at least 73 Covid deaths. This blog is now closed

Deputy PM tells Today programme of surprise at sudden decision of Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser to quitDominic Raab has refused to confirm that a resignation letter from Boris Johnson’s outgoing ethics adviser will be released, as pressure grew on the government to come clean about the reason for Christopher Geidt’s shock departure.The deputy prime minister said it was “not quite right to say you, as a matter of principle, publish all the details” – citing possible concerns over a breach of confidentiality or national security issues. Continue reading...

The apparent follow-up to 2016’s Lemonade is due for release on 29 JulyBeyoncé has announced what appears to be her next solo album, Renaissance, due for release on 29 July.After the musician, 40, shared the words “act i … RENAISSANCE” on her social media accounts, streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal – owned by her husband, rapper Jay-Z – also posted minimalist artwork featuring the same wording and offered fans the chance to pre-save the release. The Apple Music listing suggests the project will consist of 16 tracks. Continue reading...

Travellers booked on Dallas to Sydney flight forced to sleep on floor after engineering issue causes delay

Margaret Hellard wants masks reintroduced indoors and air quality prioritised but other experts say population is well protected against severe disease

Surf lifesaving volunteers, defence force personnel and paramedicine students were part of surge

Volodymyr Zelenskiy to push leaders of Germany, France and Italy to send more weapons to help army withstand Russian invasion

Study reveals majority agree schools should talk about trans issues and one in four knows trans personThe British public are not bitterly polarised over trans equality, according to new research, which found a majority agreed schools should talk to pupils about transgender issues and that one in four knows a trans person personally.Thought to be the most in-depth UK study to date of public attitudes to what has become a notoriously toxic discourse in politics and on social media, the report from More in Common identifies a radically different attitude among ordinary people, who approach issues of gender identity from a position of compassion and fairness, often informed by their own relationships with trans people. Continue reading...

Grammy-award winning US rapper will no longer headline Strawberries & Creem festival in CambridgeLil Wayne will no longer headline at Strawberries & Creem festival in Cambridge after he was banned from entering the UK at the last minute, event organisers have said.The Grammy-award winning American rapper, 39, will not perform on Saturday in what was believed to be his first UK show in 14 years after he had his visa application refused. Continue reading...

Former captain of national team said he fears he could be ‘jailed or killed’ for speaking out against the conflict

Rachel Reeves says Labour wants to make Britain the best place in the world to start and grow a businessLabour has launched a review of business startup funding driven by a group of industry leaders including the former Goldman Sachs chief economist and Conservative Treasury minister Jim O’Neill as it attempts to improve its credentials with business.Announcing the review amid concern over the strength of the British economy, Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said Labour wanted to make Britain the best place in the world to start and grow a business. Continue reading...

After cancellation of Africa flight, home secretary tries to stem claims from refugees hoping to stay in UK

The Book of Form and Emptiness is praised by judges for its ‘sparkling writing, warmth, intelligence and poignancy’Ruth Ozeki’s fourth novel, The Book of Form and Emptiness, has won the Women’s prize for fiction.The novelist, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest takes the £30,000 award for a book that “stood out for its sparkling writing, warmth, intelligence, humour and poignancy”, according to chair of judges Mary Ann Sieghart. Continue reading...

As the hours passed, things were looking more and more hopeless, until a Strasbourg court intervenedOn Tuesday morning, Jetmir*, a 26-year-old asylum seeker, woke up in Colnbrook immigration removal centre with a sickening knot in his stomach. It was the day he believed he would be bundled on to a plane and forcibly removed from Britain – not to his native Albania but to a country he knew nothing of.He could hear the sound of planes landing and taking off at nearby Heathrow airport and feared it was only a matter of hours before he would be put on a flight to Rwanda along with six other asylum seekers. Continue reading...

Jacob Rees-Mogg among ministers trying to stop release of data about use of Commons work passesMinisters have been accused of hypocrisy for allegedly trying to “cover up” their attendance in parliament, after an attempt was launched to block the information being released.Despite government departments being closely monitored to ensure civil servants are back in the office amid a crackdown on remote working, Jacob Rees-Mogg led a pushback against data being published about the number of days when MPs use their work passes. Continue reading...

Black people are 2.2 times more likely to have a police interaction and 1.6 times more likely to have force used on them, police statistics showBlack, indigenous and other racialized communities have faced disproportionate use-of-force and strip searches by Toronto police, chief James Ramer said on Wednesday, as he apologized and promised to address systemic racism in the department.“As an organization we have not done enough to ensure that every person in our city receives fair and unbiased policing and for this, as chief of police and on behalf of the service, I am sorry and I apologize unreservedly,” Ramer said. Continue reading...

Children will receive ‘poorer quality meals’ in September as firms look for cheaper optionsSoaring costs are putting the school food industry “under considerable strain”, , prompting fears that some catering firms will be forced to pull out of contracts before the start of the next academic year.With food prices up by 20%, as well as rising staff and energy costs, the sector has warned that schoolchildren will be served “poorer quality meals” in September as catering firms look for cheaper options to fill stomachs. Continue reading...

Insect’s journey probably began in west Africa on vessel that sailed from La Rochelle in 1743 to GuineaAn 18th-century cockroach named Peri, discovered in the ledger of a French slave-trading vessel, has become a surprise addition to the National Archives after the book was opened for the first time in more than two centuries.The insect’s journey began onboard the slave-trading vessel that sailed from La Rochelle in 1743 for the Guinea coast. The crew later boarded a different vessel in modern-day Haiti bound for France, taking the ledger with them. But that ship was seized by British privateers during the war of the Austrian succession and sent into Plymouth. Continue reading...

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Report says people often find online groups more informative than underfunded traditional mediaLocal Facebook groups have supplanted local newspapers as the default source of information in many British towns, according to a report into so-called “news deserts”.The catastrophic financial collapse of the local news industry over the last two decades has destroyed the business model of local newspapers, according to the Charitable Journalism Project. Although consumers sometimes described these Facebook groups using terms such as “toxic” and “racist”, many said they provided more up-to-the-minute information than their local newspaper. Continue reading...

Private-rentals white paper includes clampdown on unfit homes and outlaw of landlord bans on ‘DSS tenants’Measures to tackle unscrupulous private landlords who evict tenants without giving a reason or who let unsafe homes, will be introduced under government proposals aimed at giving a better deal for millions of renters in England.The centrepiece of the fairer private-rented sector white paper, published by the government on Thursday, is the outlawing of “no-fault” evictions – currently the biggest single cause of homelessness in England. Continue reading...

After ruling by Strasbourg court, No 10 refuses to rule out withdrawing from European convention on human rightsPriti Patel was accused by Labour of overseeing a “shambles” and participating in a “government by gimmick” after the 11th-hour cancellation of the first plane carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda.The home secretary disclosed that some cancelled Rwandan flight passengers will be released into the community wearing tags, as she promised to continue to pursue the policy of outsourcing refugees to the east African state. Continue reading...

Minister appeals for people to cut their consumption by one or two cups a day to save on importsA minister in Pakistan’s newly elected government has been criticised after appealing to the nation to drink less tea to help save on imports amid a deepening economic crisis.Pakistan is among the world’s top tea importers, and the brew is hugely popular among rich and poor. The typical Pakistani is believed to drink at least three cups a day on average. Continue reading...

Pencil cases, skirts and hats among items targeted for ‘contradicting Islamic faith and public morals’Saudi officials have been seizing rainbow-coloured toys and clothing from shops in the capital as part of a crackdown on homosexuality, state media has reported.The kingdom opened to tourism in 2019 but, like other Gulf countries, it is frequently criticised for its human rights record, including its outlawing of homosexuality, a potential capital offence. Continue reading...

Leroy Junior Medford died in 2017 after ingesting drugs in cell, in incident force says was ‘tragic and avoidable’Thames Valley police have apologised to the family of a 43-year-old man who died in custody after ingesting heroin in his cell more than five years ago, saying his death was “tragic and avoidable”.Leroy Junior Medford – known to family and friends as Junior – died on 2 April 2017 at Loddon Valley police station in Reading, more than 15 hours after being arrested on suspicion of assault. Continue reading...

Prime minister says UK government will provide any support needed after journalist’s disappearance in AmazonBoris Johnson has said the UK government is “deeply concerned” about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the British journalist Dom Phillips, after Theresa May called on the prime minister to make the case “a diplomatic priority”.May raised Phillips’s case during prime minister’s questions, citing correspondence with Phillips’ niece Dominique Davis, one of her constituents. Johnson said the UK had offered to provide support to Brazilian search teams looking for Phillips and his travelling partner, Bruno Pereira, an Indigenous expert. Continue reading...

Labour leader says PM is spouting nonsense, telling people ‘they’ve never had it so good’, in bad-tempered PMQs

Xi Jinping signs trial order allowing ‘military operations other than war’ beyond China’s bordersChina’s president, Xi Jinping, has signed legal orders allowing a trial of military operations beyond China’s borders amid heightened tensions over claims by China’s foreign ministry that the Taiwan Strait is Chinese territorial water.Official state media reports published this week were light on detail but said Xi had signed orders announcing trial outlines on “military operations other than war”. It said the trials would begin on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Shoppers air frustration at UK fast-fashion retailer’s failure to honour refunds after falling into insolvencyCustomers of the collapsed fast fashion retailer Missguided will not receive refunds for returns, administrators of the business have confirmed.It comes after the Manchester-based company fell into insolvency last month after racking up millions of pounds in outstanding payments to creditors. Continue reading...

Painting, based on black and white photograph, was last exhibited in 1965 when it was part of a triptychA Francis Bacon portrait of Lucian Freud not seen in public since it was first exhibited 57 years ago is to be auctioned with an estimated price of more than £35m.Sotheby’s on Wednesday announced what is believed to be the most valuable contemporary work to be offered in London in almost a decade. Continue reading...

Scotland’s constitution secretary says date provides ample time to pass necessary legislation for voteNicola Sturgeon plans to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence in October next year if her government secures the legal approval to stage it.Angus Robertson, the Scottish government’s constitution secretary, said that provided ample time to pass the necessary legislation, set out the Scottish National party’s case and stage a campaign. Continue reading...

Paul Erickson speaks at National Press Club; Bowen says energy system ‘under pressure’; AEC says it will not conduct a recount in federal seat of Gilmore; foreign affairs minister’s first trip to Solomon Islands since security deal with China; Victoria records 18 Covid deaths, NSW records 14. This blog is now closed

Experts say spread of misinformation and use of encrypted services drives far-right extremists and racism

Thérèse Coffey is ‘sure’ government will appeal against European court of human rights decision

Officers served with gross misconduct notices after black schoolgirl searched without another adult presentFour Metropolitan police officers are being investigated for gross misconduct after a 15-year-old black schoolgirl was strip-searched while at school.The teenager, referred to as Child Q, was strip-searched by female Met officers in 2020 after she was wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis at her east London school. Continue reading...