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Monday: new lockdowns and restrictions across Australia as coronavirus sweeps nation. Plus: MasterChef double eliminationGood morning. Millions of Australians are waking up in lockdown today as states and territories attempt to prevent the spread of the latest Covid outbreak. Similar restrictions are also being put in place internationally as the Delta variant continues to spread. Barnaby Joyce has reshuffled his cabinet, and Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is set to head back to the office today after recovering from a fall in March.New South Wales reported 30 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday as a string of new outbreaks across Australia forced states and territories to introduce sweeping new restrictions and prompted urgent calls for vaccine eligibility to be widened. Gladys Berejiklian warned Sydney to prepare for a further increase in cases over the coming days. “Given how contagious [this strain] of the virus is we do anticipate over the next few days case numbers are likely to increase even over what we have seen in the last few days,” she said. The 30 new cases were all linked to the Bondi cluster and half were in insolation while infectious. Several new exposure sights have been released for Sydney and Queensland. Continue reading...

Tracy Brabin was leafleting with colleagues for byelection when group was allegedly followed and assaultedLabour activists in the Batley and Spen byelection have been pelted with eggs and kicked in the head while on the campaign trail, the region’s mayor has said.Tracy Brabin, the newly elected mayor of West Yorkshire, said she was leafleting with colleagues, volunteers and campaigners in the Whitaker Street area of Batley on Sunday when they were followed, verbally abused and physically assaulted by a group of young men. Continue reading...

President announces new restrictions amid warnings surge across continent could be ‘worst yet’

Extinction Rebellion activists wanted to send message to ‘four billionaire owners of 68% of the UK’s print media’Six climate activists have been arrested after protests in which manure was dumped outside newspaper offices in central London.Seven tonnes of fertiliser was dumped outside the west London building that houses the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, i, Independent and Evening Standard. The offices of the Daily Telegraph at Victoria were also targeted. Continue reading...

Conservative Graeme Campbell says he has been driven from his South Lanarkshire home by criminalsA councillor who says he has been driven out of his home by criminals has claimed that Scotland risks becoming a “lawless society” as he steps back from politics following a campaign of intimidation that has left him “broken”.Graeme Campbell, who lives in the South Lanarkshire town of Strathaven – best known for its hot air balloon festival – has been targeted by fire and acid attacks three times in the past three years, the latest one taking place last weekend. Continue reading...

Teachers contact counter-radicalisation programme after mistakenly believing he said ‘arms’An 11-year-old primary school pupil was referred to the government’s controversial counter-radicalisation Prevent programme after a teacher mistook the word “alms” for “arms” during a classroom discussion.The boy’s teacher asked what pupils would do if they found themselves in possession of a lot of money. According to a legal challenge against the school lodged by the boy’s parents, he said he would “give alms to the oppressed”. The teacher interpreted this as “give arms to the oppressed” and made the Prevent referral. Continue reading...

Latest updates: Sajid Javid starts new role as health secretary after Matt Hancock resigns after clinch with aide exposed

Surviving page from notebook all but destroyed in fire in 1720 expected to fetch as much as £600,000A drawing bought in a small French sale by a buyer with a hunch has been identified as a rare surviving page from an important notebook made by a young Peter Paul Rubens.If Rubens’ original Theoretical Notebook still existed it would be a true art wonder, but it was all but destroyed in a fire in 1720. Only two pages were thought to have survived, treasures of collections in London and Berlin. Continue reading...

The physiologist and survival expert on the joys and dangers of cold water immersionDr Heather Massey is a researcher at the University of Portsmouth’s Extreme Environments research group and a seasoned open water swimmer. Having swum the Channel and competed in the world ice swimming championships, her research into the effects of extreme temperatures on the body is personal.During lockdown the number of people enjoying wild swimming soared, but so did the number of deaths. Massey’s research examines whether cold water swimming is more likely to kill or cure. Continue reading...

Second-round voting begins after record low turnout in first round left the two rivals disappointedFrance has begun voting in the second round of regional elections after a first round that resulted in a drubbing for Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party, disappointment for Marine Le Pen’s far right and a record low turnout.For some observers, the outcome of the 20 June first round raised doubts over whether the 2022 presidential election would come down to a duel between the president and Le Pen in a runoff long seen as the most likely scenario. Continue reading...

Sydney’s Bondi cluster grows to 110, Virgin Australia flight attendant tests positive, Darwin locks down, WA imposes restrictions and Queensland reports outbreak of Alpha variant

Singer attacks Boris Johnson’s administration for having no grasp of huge income generated by British artists

NSW reports 30 new Covid cases; Perth and the Peel region enter stage-one restrictions after returned traveller from NSW tests positive; Queensland reports three new local cases and NT records four; ACT mandates mask-wearing; Virgin Australia flight attendant tests positive. Follow latest updates

Investigators in Germany are using Google Earth, YouTube clips and social media posts to bring political crimes to the courtsWith its high ceilings, white walls and bleached pine furniture it could be one of the many artist’s studios or galleries that dot this corner of central Berlin. A grey curtain with plastic holes, stitched together by Franco-Italian artist Céline Condorelli, snakes between desks to divide the room into public and private spaces.In fact, this second-floor space inside a beige brick former soap factory is something closer to a newsroom or a detective agency, tripling up as a lawyers’ chambers. Next month it will formally be launched as the home of the Investigative Commons, a kind of super-hub for organisations whose work has revolutionised the field of human rights activism. Continue reading...

Family and fellow musicians pay tribute to inventor of influential ‘fourth world’ musical aestheticJon Hassell, the influential American avant garde composer who invented the global-minded “fourth world” musical aesthetic, has died aged 84. In a statement, his family said the “iconic trumpet player, author and composer” died in the early hours of 26 June, after just over a year of health complications.In spring 2020, Hassell broke his leg in a fall at his recording studio and spent four months recuperating in hospital, in isolation owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading...

Less than 50% of adults in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccineIn the United States, to bring about a long-awaited end to the Covid-19 pandemic, federal and state health officials have been urging all Americans to get vaccinated. But, amid stagnating national vaccine rates, some states in the south have been lagging behind when it comes to vaccinating their populations, raising fears of deepening regional disparities.That raises the prospect that for a complex web of reasons much of the southern US will continue to experience the pandemic in a different way than the rest of America. That is especially worrisome as the south contains more communities that are more vulnerable to the virus. Continue reading...

The passenger was taken to hospital after jumping from the aircraft as it was taxiing to the runwayA passenger has been taken to hospital after jumping out of a moving plane at Los Angeles international airport, authorities say.United Express flight 5365, operated by SkyWest, was pulling away from a gate shortly after 7pm Friday when the man unsuccessfully tried to breach the cockpit by pounding on the door. Continue reading...

Sharon Graham says troll accounts targeted her after she refused to quit the race to replace Len McCluskey as general secretaryThe only woman running to be the next leader of the powerful Unite union has revealed that she received “disgraceful” online abuse for refusing to stand aside for two more prominent male rivals.Sharon Graham, who has attracted an unexpected level of grassroots support, said she experienced a “rough ride” after refusing to end her campaign. She said troll accounts had mocked up pictures of her as Margaret Thatcher, and she had warned her family that she might lose her job because of the row. Continue reading...

Weapons licensed for export to two-thirds of states on ‘not free’ register, including Libya, Saudi Arabia and TurkeyTwo-thirds of countries classified as “not free” because of their dire record on human rights and civil liberties have received weapons licensed by the UK government over the past decade, new analysis reveals.Between 2011-2020, the UK licensed £16.8bn of arms to countries criticised by Freedom House, a US government-funded human rights group. Continue reading...

A reporter from the 26-year-old Hong Kong newspaper describes its final daysA Hong Kong police national security operation has forced the closure of the city’s most vocal and pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily. Its senior executives arrested, companies charged, and accounts frozen, the paper survived for less than a week after hundreds of officers raided the newsroom, accusing it of foreign collusion. Here a reporter from the 26-year-old paper describes the final days. Continue reading...

Planning a trip across state borders during the school holidays or a weekend away? Before you leave home, check our state-by-state guide to coronavirus travel restrictions to see if you can travel into our out of Sydney city suburbs, from NSW to Qld, between Victoria and South Australia or to NZ

Here are the current coronavirus hotspots and Covid-19 public exposure sites in Sydney, regional New South Wales and Canberra, and what to do if you’ve visited them. Our analysis and map shows where Covid cases are increasing, and a live data update tracks the daily case numbers in NSW

Incoming secretary of state faces daunting task while mastering his new position in the Department of Health as quickly as possibleSajid Javid may have already served in two of the most testing offices of state, as chancellor of the exchequer and home secretary. But on Saturday he walked into what is now arguably the biggest and most challenging of all: the job of health secretary.Not only does Javid have to steer the country out of what will hopefully be the final stages of the pandemic, ensuring we reach the end of what Boris Johnson has called the “irreversible road to freedom”. Continue reading...

Federico Chiesa came on to the Wembley pitch with six minutes of normal time left and this tight, fretful last sixteen tie still goalless. The story of the game to that point had been a stirring, finely-wrought defensive performance from Austria, who showed great resolve against a team most expected to simply blow them away.The final whistle came as a relief to Italy’s players, who fell into an angsty-looking huddle around their manager. Roberto Mancini’s message was to take breath, to re-set the throttle. And Italy did find another gear at last. Continue reading...

Reversal of fortune sees former Tory leadership candidate return to cabinet after run-ins with Dominic CummingsSajid Javid’s appointment as health secretary sees him return to a Cabinet he abruptly left in shock fashion 16 months ago.Javid was just six months into his role as chancellor, and less than a month away from delivering his first budget, when he quit after being told he must sack all his advisers if he wanted to keep his job. Continue reading...

As the cold weather takes hold, leverage the heat of your oven to stay cosy while cooking up a feast

Recent arrivals find themselves choosing between their fairytale life in Australia and desperation to see family

Workers like Darsiman sometimes work 16-hour days in the mud to handle the coffins brought out from a line of waiting ambulances

Ex-chancellor Sajid Javid is made health secretary but Boris Johnson’s authority suffers blow from resignationMatt Hancock has resigned as health secretary after Tory MPs, ministers and grassroots Conservatives defied Boris Johnson and demanded he be dismissed from the government.The minister fell on his sword after a day that began with senior Tories observing a deliberate silence over Hancock’s future – seemingly to test public opinion in their constituencies – before many later broke ranks to insist he had to go. Continue reading...

The author of the apocalyptic novel Leave the World Behind reflects on its parallels with the Covid pandemic, the genius of Lorrie Moore and why he is looking forward to letting his kids run feral outsideRumaan Alam was born in 1977 and raised in Washington DC. He is the author of three novels, the latest of which, Leave the World Behind, got rave reviews when it came out in hardback last year. The story of two families, one white, one black, thrust together in a Long Island holiday home amid apocalyptic events, it was described by the Observer as “simply breathtaking… as terrifying and prescient as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road”. Now out in paperback, it is being turned into a film by Sam Esmail (Mr Robot) starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. Alam lives in Brooklyn with his husband, David Land, a photographer, and their two adopted sons.A lot of reviewers called your book “prescient”, given that you wrote it before the pandemic. What’s your take on that?

Thought 25 years apart in age, their ideas are locked in sync. Andreas Kronthaler, husband of the couture queen, reveals his plans for the maverick fashion houseOn 21 March 2020, days before Britain’s initial lockdown, Vivienne Westwood shared her first isolation address to the nation. Royalty, of sorts, she delivered it in her trademark fashion: she spoke of saving the planet and her new manifesto, while donning couture – and surrounded by curiosities – in her south London home.These impassioned speeches became a year-long weekly occurrence. Westwood offered anti-racism, anti-capitalism, and a stern rebuke of the arms trade; in wig, blue dress and floral-print platforms, she spoke of the need to rescue the oceans, while standing in her tiled bathtub. Continue reading...

After years in New York, a move to Laguna Beach for a nature-lover was like coming homeMarcus Hay still clearly recalls the moment he decided to move to Laguna Beach in California. He was having lunch with his partner in a restaurant overlooking the ocean. “Everybody looked so happy and the sun was shining,” he says. “We were in our black clothes from New York and stood out like sore thumbs. But we said to ourselves: ‘This could be our future.’ After being in Manhattan for 13 years, I was ready for a sea change.”For the Australian stylist, whose clients include American homeware brands such as CB2, West Elm and Williams Sonoma, it was also something of a throwback to his childhood. “When I grew up in Sydney, I lived right on the beach,” he says. “I used to spend a lot of my childhood fascinated with rock pools.” Continue reading...

Gladys Berejiklian flags help and says ‘nobody should feel stressed about their financial situation’. This blog is now closed

Many married women cannot prove settled status to employers and councils because of a mix-upWomen who applied for EU settled status in the UK under their married names may struggle to access jobs and housing because of a government computer anomaly, it has emerged.Many have been left unable to prove their status to councils and employers because they have been wrongly registered to the EU settlement scheme (EUSS) in their birth names. Continue reading...

Police allege trio left Griffith and landed in Coober Pedy ‘against cross-border directions’ during Covid pandemic

Local media say victims of the fire in central China were boarding pupils aged between seven and 16At least 18 people have been killed and 16 injured after a fire broke out at a martial arts school in central China, according to the local government.Official state news agency Xinhua reported that all victims were boarding pupils, while local media said they were aged between seven and 16. Continue reading...

Actor addresses pressures facing men and women in entertainment industry in Guardian podcastThe actor Rafe Spall has spoken candidly about his struggles with his weight throughout his acting career, and the pressures of losing weight to look like a “normal guy”.Speaking on the Guardian podcast Comfort Eating with Grace Dent, the actor, who has appeared in films including Men in Black: International and Just Mercy, spoke about a recent “big-profile” job he did for television where his weight became a concern for production staff. Continue reading...

Jamie, 30, student recruiter, meets Molly, 28, charity workerWhat were you hoping for?

With infections at highest since January, country is introducing curbs for non-vaccinatedRussia has finally admitted it has a vaccination problem – but with an “explosion” of new cases driving the country’s daily toll to its highest since January, the question is whether that public realisation has come too late.Just 11% of Russia’s 146 million population is fully vaccinated – whether due to vaccine skepticism, doubts about Sputnik or other Russian-made vaccines, or “nihilism”, as a Kremlin spokesperson has suggested. Continue reading...

On a visit to Paris, US secretary of state Antony Blinken says deal is at risk if Tehran fails to make concessionsThe United States and France have warned Iran that time is running out to return to a nuclear deal, voicing fear that Tehran’s sensitive development program could advance if talks drag on.On the first high-level visit to Paris by president Joe Biden’s administration, secretary of state Antony Blinken and his French hosts saluted a new spirit of cooperation after four years of turbulence under Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Planning a trip across state borders during the school holidays or a weekend away? Before you leave home, check our state-by-state guide to coronavirus travel restrictions to see if you can travel into our out of Sydney city suburbs, from NSW to Qld, between Victoria and South Australia or to NZ

New Covid restrictions for the greater Sydney region have been extended for another week and a partial lockdown introduced. Can you have visitors? Is mask-wearing compulsory? Is travelling permitted? Here’s the full list of what you can and can’t do in NSW

UK records 15,810 new daily Covid cases and 18 deaths; Delta variant now accounts for 17% of cases in Italy

‘If something’s out there, let’s seek it out, and it is probably a foreign power,’ says chair of Senate foreign relations committeeIf the idea that we are being visited by aliens seems too much to contemplate, the thesis that the extraordinary-looking craft are the work of terrestrial adversaries seems only slightly less far-fetched – and at the same time, deeply troubling for US security experts.In pressing for the Pentagon’s UFO report to be published, congressional leaders briefed on the intelligence have pointed to the urgent security threat implied by the “unexplained aerial phenomena”. Continue reading...

Judge Peter Cahill has sentenced Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck until he died, to 22 and half years in prison.The judge acknowledged 'the deep and tremendous pain' felt by the Floyd family and others, but he said the sentence was not based on public opinion

Student, who returned from New York, says NSW Health is putting up frustrating obstacles while she is ‘guessing whether my father will be alive tomorrow’

It’s entirely possible the Nationals’ new leader will blow himself – and the Coalition – to smithereensIt’s been a week where problems broke containment lines.Sydney battled its scary coronavirus outbreak, locking down local government areas by Friday. In Canberra, Barnaby Joyce managed to barge his way back to the deputy prime ministership despite the best blocking efforts of his opponents. Continue reading...