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Officials say Orlando Jorge Mera, founder member of Modern Revolutionary party, shot and killed by unknown personThe Dominican Republic’s minister of the environment and natural resources has been shot and killed in his officeby a close friend, the office of the president said in a statement on Monday.Authorities said Orlando Jorge Mera was shot by Miguel Cruz, who has been detained. No further details were immediately available. Continue reading...

Witnesses describe how attackers detonated explosives and shot at those who tried to fleeWorkers cleared the pools of blood and pieces of broken pews at the Saint Francis Catholic church in south-west Nigeria on Monday, as the local community mourned more than 50 parishioners shot dead in the final moments of mass a day earlier.

Workshops and classrooms remain empty and inmates inactive as prisons ‘do not have staff to run properly’Covid lockdowns in prisons will leave “a price to pay” for the boredom, loss of family ties and lack of education inflicted upon thousands of inmates, the official watchdog has said.Charlie Taylor, HM chief inspector of prisons, said there had also been “a depressingly low level of activity for prisoners” as the pandemic eased despite prisons’ responsibility to educate, train and increase the employability of inmates. Continue reading...

Li Jiaqi, a blogger with millions of fans, had his livestream abruptly cut on Friday, and has posted nothing sinceOne of China’s top bloggers has gone silent after livestreaming footage of a cake apparently shaped like a tank just before the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, prompting debate over the highly sensitive event among tens of millions of young fans.Discussion of the crackdown on 4 June 1989, when China set troops and tanks on peaceful protesters, is all but forbidden on the mainland. Continue reading...

While jury deliberated in Toronto, news broke that the Canadian rock musician had been charged with another sexual assault

UK and US have so far promised a handful; official says with 60 they can stop Russians ‘dead in their tracks’

Who can write about whom was a running question, tackled by writers from Rose Tremain to Damon Galgut“Authenticity” is a word that gets bandied about in the cultural sphere quite a lot just at the moment, so it’s perhaps no surprise that discussions around how “authentic” a work of literature should be were something of a theme at this year’s Hay festival.When it comes to fiction, according to Julian Barnes, there is kind of a grey area, with it being “a strange mixture of something that is very personal, and also something very objective”. Is it a novelist’s job to imagine characters from all walks of life? Or should autofiction become the only option? Continue reading...

Dom Phillips disappeared on a trip to one of the remotest corners of the Amazon days after receiving threatsFears are growing over the safety of a British journalist and a Brazilian Indigenous expert who have disappeared in one of the remotest corners of the Amazon just days after receiving threats.Dom Phillips, a longtime contributor to the Guardian in Brazil, was last seen over the weekend in the Javari region of Amazonas state – a vast region of rivers and rainforests near the border with Peru. Continue reading...

Resources minister signals ‘very positive’ talks with gas corporations and suggested managing coal supply could relieve market pressures

State government struck an agreement with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria to establish body with legal powers

Family of Ehud Yonay, author of source material for the 1986 blockbuster starring Tom Cruise, launch legal action against hit sequelThe family of the author whose article inspired the 1986 Tom Cruise movie Top Gun on Monday sued Paramount Pictures for copyright infringement over this year’s blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.According to a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, the Paramount Global unit failed to reacquire the rights to Ehud Yonay’s 1983 article “Top Guns”, which appeared in a 1983 issue of California magazine, from his family before releasing the “derivative” sequel. Continue reading...

Flying stun gun plan in response to US school shootings was expression of potential, not launch timetable, says CEOAxon, the company formerly known as Taser, has abandoned plans to build a stun gun-equipped drone intended for deployment in schools after an “exodus” of resignations from its internal ethics board.The company’s chief executive, Rick Smith, said in a statement: “I want to be explicit: I announced a potential delivery date a few years out as an expression of what could be possible; it is not an actual launch timeline, especially as we are pausing that program. A remotely operated non-lethal Taser-enabled drone in schools is an idea, not a product, and it’s a long way off. We have a lot of work and exploring to see if this technology is even viable and to understand if the public concerns can be adequately addressed before moving forward.” Continue reading...

More than 70 staff suspended and 34 arrested at psychiatric hospital in County Antrim since allegations came to lightA public inquiry has opened into allegations of extensive and repeated abuse of patients at Muckamore Abbey, a hospital for vulnerable adults in Northern Ireland.The inquiry’s chair, Tom Kark, said at the first hearing on Monday that the allegations of abuse and neglect at the psychiatric facility outside Belfast, in County Antrim, brought the medical, nursing and care professions into disrepute. Continue reading...

EasyJet axes a further 37 services as most underground stations in centre of capital are closedTransport troubles have hampered the return to work for many after the jubilee weekend, with more flight cancellations and a tube strike causing widespread disruption.EasyJet cancelled a further 37 flights on Monday, as the staffing issues that have plagued the airline over half-term continued. Thousands more passengers had their travel plans upturned, after more than 80 flight cancellations by the airline on Sunday. Continue reading...

Recently rediscovered BBC footage of an exuberant Sunday afternoon disco in Ardoyne has gone viralIn 1964 it was the moment the children of Holy Cross parish in north Belfast waited for all week: at 3pm on Sunday their school held a disco.For the price of a few pence they would pack the hall, the music would start and for the next few hours their world was a sublime realm of dance, joy and rock’n’roll, especially when the Hippy Hippy Shake played. Continue reading...

Surge in shopper footfall over four-day bank holiday also gives UK high streets a much-needed liftAlmost 17 million people took part in community celebrations during the platinum jubilee weekend, according to one poll, as the Queen highlighted the “sense of togetherness” in her thank you message to the country.The four-day bank holiday also gave UK high streets a much-needed lift as shopper footfall surged. Continue reading...

Your rights if you are one of the thousands of people caught up in recent travel chaosThousands of Britons are stuck abroad after about 200 flights were cancelled over the weekend, including 80 by easyJet on Sunday. But what are your rights if you are one of those affected? Continue reading...

Kaja Kallas warns pain of sanctions will test relations, and also criticises Macron’s stance on Putin

Dominic Raab to unveil new raft of measures, which include providing court with a specialist legal and police teamThe UK Ministry of Justice has announced a second tranche of support for the international criminal court’s (ICC) investigations into war crimes in Ukraine, including the deployment of a specialist legal and police team.Karim Khan QC, the court’s chief prosecutor, was due in London on Monday to provide an update on the progress of the investigation, although his trip was later cancelled due to illness. The deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, will present further support to the independent investigation on top of the £1m of funding provided earlier this year. Continue reading...

Recordings from May 1965 were sealed for nearly 50 years, and reveal folk-like renditions of songs including I’m Waiting for the Man and HeroinLou Reed’s earliest versions of some of the Velvet Underground’s greatest songs, including I’m Waiting for the Man and Heroin, have been unearthed and will be released in August.The US record label Light in the Attic, in partnership with Reed’s widow Laurie Anderson, will release Words & Music, May 1965 as the first album in a new archival series. Continue reading...

Global supply chain crisis, including computer chip shortage, and inflation hit businessUK car sales slumped by a fifth last month compared with a year earlier as the semiconductor shortage continued to bite and the industry raised concerns over the impact of inflation on the market.New UK car registrations fell by 20.6% year on year to 124,400 in the second weakest May since 1992, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. Continue reading...

Rise of almost 6p a litre at UK forecourts over bank holiday week renews concern over spiralling costsPetrol prices soared by almost 6p a litre at UK forecourts over the jubilee bank holiday week to a fresh record, with drivers warned they could exceed 180p this week.The RAC called for radical government intervention after figures from the data firm Experian Catalist showed the average cost of a litre of petrol reached a record 177.9p on Sunday, up from 172.1p on 27 May. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson is not the first leader to face poll of party MPs, a situation that has often led to their downfall

Analysis: we take a look at Tory ministers jostling for top job with ratings out of 10 on chances of success• Stay up to date – UK politics liveBoris Johnson’s future could be sealed on Monday evening, after at least 54 Tory MPs submitted letters saying they had lost confidence in the prime minister. Conservative MPs will vote in a secret ballot to decide his fate, taking only 180 of them to vote to oust him.But one of the factors making some MPs hesitant is the lack of an obvious successor. Here are the main contenders jostling for position with a rating out of 10 on their current chances of success, although MPs are taking seriously the idea that a wild card candidate could end up winning in the event of a contest. Continue reading...

US hedge fund Elliott Management criticises decision to halt nickel trading after spike in pricesThe London Metal Exchange is being sued by the New York hedge fund Elliott Management for $456m (£363m), over its controversial decision to cancel nickel trades after a spike in prices linked to the invasion of Ukraine.Elliott’s case, which was filed at the high court last week, claims the LME acted “unreasonably and irrationally” when it cancelled trades originally made on 8 March, a move that the exchange said was meant to avoid disorderly trading. Continue reading...

Airline accused of discrimination after it introduces test due to ‘high prevalence of fraudulent passports’Ryanair is facing accusations of racial discrimination after forcing South Africans to take a test in Afrikaans before boarding flights home from the UK and Europe.The budget airline, which claimed the “simple questionnaire” was part of efforts to tackling fraudulent South African passport holders, is facing criticism for conducting the general knowledge test in a language that is the third most used in the country and had a controversial role in the oppression of black citizens during apartheid. Continue reading...

Analysis: the conflict in Europe has entrenched the differences between Beijing and the US and its alliesMore than 100 days into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s strategic assessment of the conflict is becoming clearer: it does not wish to be cast in the same light as Russia, but the war has deepened Beijing’s mistrust of the west.In Beijing’s view, the pessimism has been exacerbated by the US and its allies’ recent efforts, for example, to help Taiwan increase its international recognition. On Monday last week, Beijing made the second-largest incursion into Taiwan’s air defence zone this year with Taipei reporting 30 jets entering the area, including more than 20 fighters. Continue reading...

Chair of 1922 Committee says threshold of 54 letters seeking PM’s departure has been reached

‘Insulting’ comments by spokespeople for ruling Bharatiya Janata party met with anger in Middle EastThe Indian government has become embroiled in a diplomatic row with Gulf states after two ruling party spokespeople were accused of making Islamophobic and derogatory comments insulting the prophet Muhammad.The ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) suspended its national spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, and expelled its Delhi media head, Naveen Kumar Jindal, after their comments went viral in the Middle East, where they were met with a chorus of diplomatic anger. Continue reading...

Analysis: Even if the PM survives on Monday evening his plummet from grace has been extraordinary

Prime minister speaks in Jakarta after sharing bike ride with Indonesian president; Richard Marles says finding successor to Collins-class submarines is ‘No 1’ defence priority; Australia records at least 19 Covid deaths. Follow all the day’s developments

Brian Burston, who represented One Nation from 2016 to 2018, is suing his former leader for what he says were accusations of sexual harassment against him

Australia’s sanctions on oligarch Oleg Deripaska led to Rio Tinto taking responsibility for Gladstone refinery from Rusal subsidiary

There is a long history of nuclear energy being used as a delaying tactic for acting on climate change in Australia

High number of first 100 people to be sent to Rwanda are from Sudan, despite being small number of those crossing the ChannelThe Home Office is offering to fly asylum seekers back to the conflict zones they escaped from if they do not wish to be sent to Rwanda, the Guardian has learned.Documents issued to the first group of asylum seekers facing removal to the east African country state that the Home Office voluntary returns service can help them go back to their home country. Continue reading...

As details emerge, concerns grow about Treasury’s efforts to recover almost £5bn wrongly claimedWhen Keith Hamblett, a fruit and vegetable seller from Tyne and Wear, asked his bank for a government-backed loan in the autumn of 2020, the economy was still in trouble after lockdowns, and coronavirus cases were rising.The Covid bounce back loan scheme was a welcome relief for many smaller companies, and Hamblett received £28,000. Continue reading...

Sellers could pass off elephant products as derivatives from unprotected mammals, Born Free Foundation saysIvory peddlers may continue to sell elephant tusks after a new ban by disguising their products as walrus or narwhal derivatives, campaigners have warned.From Monday, trade in elephant teeth and tusks is illegal in the UK, punishable by fines of up to £250,000 or up to five years in prison under the Ivory Act. Pre-1975 musical instruments and antique items of “outstanding importance” are exempted from the act, as well as ivory from non-elephant species. Continue reading...

Exclusive: research finds black people are 38% less likely than white people to be diagnosed in this wayBlack people are more than a third less likely than white people to be diagnosed with cancer via screening in England, according to the first study of its kind, prompting calls for targeted efforts to improve their levels of uptake.Screening programmes save lives by preventing cancer from occurring or spotting it earlier, when treatment is more likely to be effective. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Report for Aberlour children’s charity reveals scale of school meal debt for first timeMore than £1m is owed by families across Scotland who are unable to pay for their children’s school meals, new research has found.The report for the Aberlour children’s charity, seen exclusively by the Guardian, reveals the scale of school meal debt for the first time, and details an “alarming” rise in hidden hunger among Scotland’s school pupils. Continue reading...

Only a quarter of shifts have the planned number of registered nurses on duty, according to Royal College of Nursing reportOnly a quarter of nursing shifts have the planned number of registered nurses on duty, a survey of more than 20,000 frontline staff has suggested.According to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), most nurses warn that staffing levels on their last shift were not sufficient to meet the needs of patients, and that some are now quitting their jobs.

Tech giant and comedian Jordan Shanks may face contempt of court charges over videos published during trial

President makes rare publicised visit outside Kyiv, close to Sievierodonetsk, where Ukrainian forces have taken back ground from Russian forces

Monday morning launches demonstrate ‘capability and readiness to carry out precision strikes’ on regime, a day after it carried out its own launchesSouth Korea and the US have fired eight surface-to-surface missiles into the sea in response to North Korea’s launch of a similar number of ballistic missiles the previous day, a South Korea defence ministry official said.South Korea said Monday’s tit-for-tat launch off its east coast was a demonstration of Seoul’s “capability and readiness to carry out precision strikes” against the source of North Korea’s missile launches or the command and support centres, the Yonhap news agency cited the South Korean military as saying. Continue reading...

Despite a few upticks in recent weeks, the current campaign has seen, on average, the lowest crowds in a quarter of a centuryNearly 44,000 people were at the MCG on Sunday, a reasonable turnout on a stinker of a day. There were 47,000 at Optus Stadium too, but AFL crowds, on average, are the lowest they have been since 1996. Just over 30,000 watched the reigning premiers on their home ground on Saturday night, while the crowd at the Adelaide Oval was well below par.One commentator suggested the game has become “too woke” with all its rule changes and crackdown on umpire dissent. Others believe the standard of play is driving punters away. But, arguably, the football has been far superior to that played half a decade ago, when crowd numbers peaked. West Coast’s dire year, the redevelopment of Kardinia Park, the floating fixture and a recent Arctic blast have also played a role. Here are some of the possible major contributing factors. Continue reading...

Champion of Māori rights honoured by Queen for life of work dedicated to improving ‘economic, cultural and social standing of Māori communities’A Māori leader, educator and historian who has dedicated his life to the betterment of Māori and was instrumental in developing Māori fishing interests has been awarded New Zealand’s highest honour.Tā (Sir) Tipene O’Regan, 83, has been made a member of the Order of New Zealand as part of the Queen’s birthday honours list. O’Regan was awarded the distinction alongside Dame Silvia Cartwright, a former governor general and the first woman in New Zealand to become a high court judge. Continue reading...

Putin warns that Moscow will hit new targets if west supplies Ukraine with long-range missiles as Kyiv reels from first attack in more than a month

Dominic Perrottet announces $4.5bn recruitment drive of 10,000 health workers in attempt to ease pressure on stretched hospitals

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war herePresident Vladimir Putin said Russia would strike new targets if the United States started supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles, the TASS news agency reported on Sunday.The TASS news agency reports:Putin said that if such missiles are supplied, that Russia will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting”, in an Rossiya-1 state television channelPutin did not name the targets Russia planned to pursue if western countries began supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles. Continue reading...

Analysts say the extent to which Australia will have to accelerate the uptake of renewables has not been appreciated – it’s extremely challenging, but not impossibleAustralia will need to double the pace of its renewable energy uptake to meet the 2030 target set by the Albanese government, even without any increase in demand, according to Bruce Mountain, head of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre.Labor’s main energy policy, Rewiring the Nation, includes the creation of a special corporation to funnel $20bn into new transmission links to accelerate the uptake of more clean energy. The plan is part of Labor’s pledge to cut Australia’s 2005-level greenhouse gas emissions 43% by 2030, projecting renewables reach an 82% share of renewables in the National Electricity Market by then. Continue reading...

New York-born Such played bass for American rock band in its 1980s heydayAlec John Such, the bassist and a founding member of Bon Jovi, has died. He was 70.Jon Bon Jovi on Sunday announced the death of Such, the New Jersey rock band’s bassist from 1983 to 1994. No details of when or how he died were immediately available. Continue reading...