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An irresistibly charismatic farm boy, displaced by a housing development on the outskirts of Ethiopia’s capital, is the star of this affecting documentaryThe American director Mo Scarpelli makes a miraculous discovery in her new documentary – a 10-year-old Ethiopian farm boy who has been displaced from his home by urbanisation. Scarpelli has said that when she spotted Asalif Tewold on the street in Addis Ababa, she knew instantly that she wanted to make a film about him. You can see why. A charismatic kid with energy and imagination, he’s at that perfect stage of boyhood with an appetite for adventure and make-believe. That said, Scarpelli’s observational film-making style, slow and lingering, is a challenge and likely to be off-putting to all but hardcore lovers of arthouse. Continue reading...

Irish journalist Aaron McNicholas’s visa was rejected in what’s believed to the first such case at a local titleAfter months of reassurance that Beijing’s national security law would not affect Hong Kong’s free press, the government has denied a visa to local media outlet, the Hong Kong Free Press.The English-language outlet had sought to employ a new editor, Aaron Mc Nicholas, an Irish journalist already based in Hong Kong. However the immigration department rejected an application to transfer his work visa after an almost six-month wait, without giving an official reason. Continue reading...

The latest US move against Beijing cracks down on firms whose goods may support Chinese military activities

Italy sees 1,367 new cases; Croatia reports record 358 new cases; Lebanon’s caretaker PM country could ‘lose control’ of outbreak. This blog has now closed. Stay up to date on our latest blog below

Jonathan Slater to stand down; Boris Johnson tries to blame ‘mutant algorithm’ for exam results chaos in England; Scotland records first deaths from Covid-19 in over a month. This live blog is now closed - for more coronavirus updates, please follow the global live blog6.54pm BSTHere’s a list of the key coronavirus developments from the UK today:Related: Coronavirus live news: Italy hits record daily cases since May; Croatia reports record daily infections rise5.54pm BSTAs many as 30 young people may have coronavirus in Plymouth following a holiday to the Greek island of Zante, the city council has said.At least 11 of the group of 18- and 19-year-olds have tested positive for Covid-19, the council said, as it warned residents to take precautions.We know that some of these young people had no symptoms, and so carried on as normal, including a night out in Plymouth’s bars and restaurants, until they became aware of the risk. That means more people could be infected.“While young people might have fairly mild symptoms, and sometimes none that you would notice, our big concern is that we know it can be very serious for people who have existing health problems or are older. Continue reading...

Roger Hallam one of five people ordered to be detained before weekend of planned actionOne of the co-founders of Extinction Rebellion has been detained for four weeks before a weekend of planned action.Roger Hallam, 54, of Wandsworth in south-west London, was among five people arrested on Monday and charged with conspiracy to cause criminal damage. Continue reading...

Author Svetlana Alexievich says she refused to cooperate with investigatorsAuthorities in Belarus have questioned the Nobel prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich as part of an investigation into an opposition council created to facilitate a political transition in the country.Alexander Lukashenko, who has been president for 26 years and is under pressure from protesters to step down after a rigged election win this month, has described the council as an attempt to seize power, and prosecutors have opened a criminal case. Continue reading...

Lawmakers seek to strip Flordelis dos Santos de Souza, accused of orchestrating ‘barbaric’ murder of her husband, of parliamentary immunityA gospel-singing Brazilian lawmaker accused of masterminding the assassination of the husband who was once her adopted son is facing calls for her expulsion from congress so she can face murder charges.Flordelis dos Santos de Souza – a favela-born celebrity congresswoman whose rise to stardom was celebrated in a film featuring some of Brazil’s top actors – is fighting to avoid jail after police claimed she had orchestrated her partner’s 2019 murder. Continue reading...

Police looking into whether attacks may be linked to satanic rituals or an online challengeFrench police are hunting the perpetrators of a series of savage animal mutilations across the country in recent weeks.Investigators have advised the owners of horses and donkeys to be particularly vigilant after more than a dozen attacks left animals dead or severely injured. Continue reading...

Data showing fiscal deficit rose to £15bn in 2019-20 sparks row over case for independenceScotland’s deficit has risen to nearly £2,000 per person after the gap between tax income and spending widened to become more than three times larger than the UK as a whole.Data released on Wednesday showed Scotland’s fiscal deficit rose to £15bn in 2019-20, fuelling a row over the case for independence at first minister’s questions between Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard. Continue reading...

Louise Anderson hopes to use sample frozen at Glasgow clinic to produce a grandchildThe mother of a transgender teenager is preparing to take legal action to prevent fertility doctors from destroying her dead daughter’s frozen sperm.Louise Anderson, from Stirling, says she wants to honour her daughter Ellie’s wish to produce a grandchild, using her sperm, an egg donor and a surrogate carrier. Continue reading...

Coalition to introduce laws to prevent Australian governments and universities making ‘detrimental’ deals with foreign powersThe Morrison government will pursue new powers to stop state, territory and local governments and universities entering agreements with foreign governments that it considers detrimental to Australia’s foreign policy objectives.The government will introduce legislation next week empowering the foreign affairs minister to review and cancel agreements – such as Victoria’s decision to sign up to China’s belt and road initiative – if the commonwealth judges the arrangement adversely affects Australia’s foreign relations. Continue reading...

Fundraiser for woman found dead next to baby in Glasgow flat almost triples its targetAn appeal for funeral expenses for Mercy Baguma, the Ugandan asylum seeker who was discovered dead next to her crying baby in a flat in Glasgow, has nearly tripled its original funding target as calls grow for an inquiry into her death.Baguma’s body was found by police on Saturday morning next to her one-year-old son, who was reportedly suffering from malnutrition and required hospital treatment. It is believed he has since been released into the care of his father, another asylum seeker who also lives in Glasgow. Continue reading...

Report says racism is endemic in UK aid department’s HQ and network of offices abroadMany black, Asian and minority ethnic men working in the Department for International Development claim to have experienced prejudice at work, including racist jokes and doubts about their legality as UK citizens.The government’s aid department has also been severely criticised for signing off an anti-sexual harassment campaign that portrayed BAME men following or restraining white women, in a report seen by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Largest US childrenswear retailer blames Covid for move, as employees say they are struggling to buy food after wage cutsThe largest childrenswear retailer in the US has cancelled millions of dollars worth of clothing orders from suppliers in Ethiopia because of the coronavirus pandemic, pushing companies into debt and leaving employees facing pay cuts.The Children’s Place (TCP), which has more than 1,000 stores in the US and 90 around the world and had a turnover of $2bn (£1.5bn) last year, cancelled orders from Ethiopia in March and delayed payments by six months for orders completed in January and February, suppliers told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Ted Hui and Lam Cheuk-ting held over incident in July 2019 when white-clad thugs attacked activists at train stationHong Kong police have arrested pro-democracy lawmakers over involvement in protests in 2019, including one who was injured when a large group of thugs attacked protesters and civilians at the Yuen Long transport station.The arrests come amid a crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression. Continue reading...

Irish government says it has lost confidence in Phil Hogan after he flouted quarantine regulations

Letetra Widman, the sister of Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back by police on Sunday, gives an impassioned plea saying that above all the other labels given to her brother, he is human.Letetra said she had been inundated with messages of support but that all she really wanted was change.

Premier Daniel Andrews urges more Victorians to come forward for testing and Queensland reports one new case. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

Demonstrations over hunger by people thrown out of work by the pandemic have been met with violent repressionVioleta Delgado was at a protest over food shortages under Chile’s coronavirus lockdowns when the police arrived and fired off a volley of teargas rounds.Delgado, who was seven months pregnant, says she put her hands up to show she was unarmed, but was struck by a police vehicle and knocked to the ground. Continue reading...

Terrorist does not intend to speak at Thursday’s hearing but will have a lawyer make a brief statement on his behalfOver a period of three days, 91 of his victims read statements to him in court. But the terrorist who attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand – killing dozens of Muslim worshippers at prayer – told a judge on Wednesday that he would not address the court himself.There had been fears the Australian man would use the sentencing hearing as a platform to spread his anti-Islamic and extremist views. Brenton Tarrant, 29, a self-professed white supremacist, broadcast his massacre at the two mosques live on Facebook and published an extremist manifesto. Continue reading...

The federal government faces accusations of invoking the National Security Information Act to interfere in case against barrister Bernard CollaeryAttorney general Christian Porter has been accused of abusing the National Security Information Act after interfering in court proceedings to screen documents held by Woodside Petroleum in a case against barrister Bernard Collaery.Collaery is on trial for his role in exposing Australia’s bugging of Timor-Leste during oil and gas negotiations. Continue reading...

Hamimah Tuyan, the widow of the 51st and final victim of 2019's Christchurch shooting, addresses the gunman, Brenton Tarrant, in court, telling him his death elevated him from hero to martyr. Zekeriya Tuyan battled for 48 days after 18 surgeries before succumbing to his injuries. Tuyan's statements come after three days of family members of victims addressing Tarrant and the court

Scientists are using 3D-printed hexagons to create artificial reefs after a super-typhoon brought devastation

Government has spent less than £2,000 a year promoting guidelines to help visitors respect wildlife and landscapes

Nationwide the need for aid at food banks and pantries has surged amid worst unemployment rate in modern timesNeisha Davis cradles brown paper lunch bags in the crook of one arm, while holding on to Demitri, her wriggling baby son, in the other and keeping a careful eye on Naya, her four-year-old daughter, as she runs around the church car park with another little girl.It’s hectic but the free packed lunches have become a crucial part of their daily nutrition. So everyday at noon the family make the two-mile journey from Homewood, a low income predominantly African American Pittsburgh neighbourhood with no grocery stores, to the East End Community Ministry’s pop-up lunch stall in East Liberty. Continue reading...

The men of the MGTOW movement aim to live their lives with no female contact. The idea began on the fringes of the internet – so how has it made it all the way to the White House?

Speculation about the appointment has been ongoing for Abbott, who has previously praised the ‘solidarity’ of nations with ties to the UKHe has previously praised the “solidarity” of the English-speaking nations that share strong bonds with the UK. Now the former Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, is tipped to be appointed to advise the UK – his birthplace – on how to seize trade opportunities post-Brexit.The Guardian understands there’s been speculation in Australian government circles for some time that Abbott – a social conservative who was prime minister for nearly two years until he was toppled in a snap party vote in 2015 – was in line for a British trade advisory role of some form. Continue reading...

Court hears a mixture of defiance, anger and sadness on third day of hearing to decide gunman’s sentence, with more victims choosing to speakOn the first day, many of those coming to address the terrorist in court seemed hesitant. The next day, the mood seemed to change as more victims appeared emboldened to speak of their rage. By the third day – Wednesday – the floodgates had opened.“My 71-year-old dad would have broken you in half if you had challenged him to a fight,” Ahad Nabi told a hearing in Christchurch, New Zealand, to determine whether the Australian gunman would ever leave jail. Continue reading...

It can be traumatic for women to lose their hair, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith, but your hair doesn’t need to be a symbol of fragilityI had breast cancer in 2002. It came back a second time this year. I had a double mastectomy and chemo. I have had reconstructive surgery but expect more. It’s been a rough year. Mostly I am proud of getting through all this. But I am concerned about my daughter’s wedding, which is in six weeks.I have a wig for Zoom calls, but it doesn’t look great and it is not me. I bought it online; because of Covid I could not go to a wig shop. I have very little hair, a quarter inch, but you can still see my scalp. I don’t know what to do for my head. Do I wear a wig that is hot and not me? Do I go with my own hair and look like a man with a crew cut, but wear it as a symbol of pride for a tough year? Do I wear a scarf that will hide my head but not the fact that I have no hair? Continue reading...

The inspirational Australian has been honoured by the ICC for the way she has contributed to the game both on and off the fieldFrom an orphanage in India to the International Cricket Council hall of fame, via four World Cup titles and a distinguished international and domestic career, Lisa Sthalaker’s journey has been truly extraordinary.Sthalaker was just three weeks old when her parents adopted her from an orphanage in Pune and, after four years living in America and Kenya, the family settled in Australia, where Sthalaker set out on the path to becoming one of the world’s most formidable female cricketers. Continue reading...

Streets and homes flooded with sewage in Karachi as downpours overwhelm outdated waste system in country’s largest cityThree days of monsoon rains have killed at least 90 people and damaged at least a thousand homes across Pakistan, the country’s national disaster management agency has said.Streets and homes were flooded with sewage water in Karachi on Tuesday, where the city’s outdated drainage and waste systems were overwhelmed by another spell of heavy rain. Continue reading...

Drop in spending between end of March and early July caused emissions to fall by 4.3m tonnes, study says

Phil Hogan gave more detail about his trip but said he was exempt from lockdown restrictions

Prime minister makes another coronavirus U-turn days before return to classrooms

Ofqual chiefs and Williamson face MPs; secondary school pupils in Scotland to cover faces from Monday as Wales reviews schools mask guidance

Dozens who arrived on small boats due to be put on charter flights over next two daysDozens of asylum seekers who arrived in the UK on small boats are due to be put on charter flights over the next two days, while lawyers have launched last-minute high court challenges to prevent their removal.At least seven have mounted challenges which will be heard on Tuesday evening to try to prevent them being forcibly removed from the UK. Continue reading...

Decision to rename Squaw Valley ski resort reached after consulting with Native American groups and research on the termCalifornia’s popular Squaw Valley ski resort will change its name, officials announced Tuesday.The decision was reached after consulting with local Native American groups and extensive research into the etymology and history of the term “squaw”, said Ron Cohen, president and COO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. Continue reading...

The textbook, which has now been recalled, includes passages that critics believe endorse China’s authoritarian rule and are ‘straight out of the party playbook’A textbook used in some Victorian schools includes portions that repeat Chinese Communist party propaganda and features a controversial map in which China claims most of the South China Sea in contradiction of Australian government policy.The Guardian can reveal concerns about the material have prompted the publisher, Cengage Learning Asia, to recall unsold copies of the textbook, which the Melbourne-based authors said they had written to suit the course design of the Victorian senior school subject Chinese language, culture and society. Continue reading...

Netanyahu puts Dominic Raab under pressure over UK refusal to abandon nuclear agreementThe Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has urged Britain and other EU states to end what he described as their “outrageous and absurd” support for the Iran nuclear deal.In talks in Jerusalem with Netanyahu and the Israeli foreign minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, found himself under pressure over Britain’s decision to oppose the planned US “snapback”, or reinstatement, of all sanctions on Iran. Continue reading...

Serial killer Michel Fourniret will be interviewed about nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin after wife withdraws alibiFrench investigators are hoping a notorious serial killer will finally solve the mystery of what happened to a nine-year-old girl who disappeared on her way home from school 17 years ago.Michel Fourniret, known as the Ogre of the Ardennes, was jailed for life in 2008 for killing seven girls and young women. He subsequently admitted other murders, including that of the British language student Joanna Parrish in 1990, and has been linked to other killings. Continue reading...

Palestinians fear ‘catastrophe’ amid weak healthcare, economic toll and increased tensions with Israel

Exclusive: Thomas Young used cut-up method to treat translation of Egyptian relic as mathematical problem, papers showNobody knew how to read hieroglyphs when two 19th-century scholars set out to decipher the inscribed texts on the ancient Egyptian Rosetta Stone, one of the British Museum’s most famous treasures.Now notes have been discovered among one of the scholars’ papers in the British Library that reveal the extent to which the translation was treated as though it was a mathematical problem. Continue reading...

Businesses and psychologists say country is still reeling from its earlier confinement

Go with it, and Christopher Nolan’s high-concept action romp will leave you ripping off your face mask for air, even as you wonder what it was all aboutWho shall save cinema? Not James Bond apparently. There’s been a brand-new Daniel Craig spectacular ready to go since Easter, arguably just the thing to get punters’ actual bums back on actual seats. But Team 007 is wimping out, unwilling to splurge their product irreversibly into some potential new ruinous lockdown – and Disney has suffered a comparable bottle-loss, dumping its live-action version of the Mulan legend on to streaming services.So it’s up to the mighty Christopher Nolan to take the heroic, morale-boosting gamble and open his big new film in cinemas. Tenet is a gigantically confusing, gigantically entertaining and gigantically gigantic metaphysical action thriller in which a protagonist called The Protagonist battles cosmic incursions from the future while time flows backwards and forwards at the same time. There’s a 747 plane that crashes into a warehouse and then uncrashes back out of it, for reasons that are not immediately obvious. Continue reading...

Diego Balasso says 121kg animal began to smell him then threw him to the ground

Coalition will fund extra days for reservists who have lost their jobs and upgrade capital works on defence propertiesThe Morrison government says it will bring forward $1bn of planned defence spending over the next two years in a stimulus package that includes upgrading capital works on defence properties and funding extra days for reservists who have lost their jobs during the pandemic.The package, to be unveiled on Wednesday, includes a $300m capital works program, including repairs to the defence estate in bushfire-affected regions on the south coast of New South Wales, as well as RAAF bases in East Sale, Pearce, Wagga Wagga and Amberley, the Albury/Wodonga military area and Blamey barracks. Continue reading...