Hisham al-Hashimi had said he feared Iran-backed militia groups were targeting himA leading Iraqi expert on Islamic State and other militant groups has been shot dead in Baghdad after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias, security officials have said.Gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Hisham al-Hashimi, 47, on Monday outside his home in the Zeyouneh area of Baghdad, a family member said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. Continue reading...
Tuesday: Residents of Melbourne’s locked-down towers and their families say they pleaded for help in March. Plus, why you should write (actual) lettersGood morning, this is Emilie Gramenz bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Tuesday 7 July. Continue reading...
The 19-year-old journalism student has won herself a huge audience on Instagram with irreverent takes on life, money and fameCrisp-crunching, straight-talking and unabashedly fond of fame, 19-year-old Kenyan student Elsa Majimbo has become an unlikely hero of the coronavirus pandemic. Viral videos filmed in her bedroom while under lockdown in Nairobi – during which she updates followers on her search for a boyfriend and warns her future child that they will never be given a car (“You have legs. Two in fact.”) – have made Majimbo a social media star.“Ever since corona started we’ve all been in isolation,” one of her most famous videos begins, seeming as though it will continue with a heartfelt message. Continue reading...
by Julian Borger, Patrick Wintour and agencies on (#55EB1)
Tong Ying-kit, 23, charged with terrorism and inciting secession for allegedly driving motorbike into group of police last weekChina has begun putting its new Hong Kong security law into action, as a 23-year-old man became the first person on Monday to be charged under the legislation and authorities announced a purge of literature from libraries and schools.The law, imposed last week following anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, classes as illegal all activities the government deems to be secessionist, subversive, or terrorist, as well as foreign intervention in the city’s internal affairs. Continue reading...
Jean Castex retains foreign affairs, finance and health ministers but replaces interior minister criticised over gilets jaunes protestsFrance’s new prime minister, Jean Castex, has made few major changes to the cabinet after President Emmanuel Macron gambled on a reshuffle to reboot his presidency and tighten his grip on government before seeking re-election in 2022.The Élysée Palace had promised “new faces and talents”, but key ministers from the outgoing government stayed, including the centre-right Bruno Le Maire at economic affairs and finance and Jean-Yves Le Drian, a former Socialist, at foreign affairs. Continue reading...
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said the Commonwealth must acknowledge the past even if it may be uncomfortable to do so, but that after doing so ‘everyone benefits’.The couple were speaking in discussion by video link on justice and equal rights with young leaders from the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT), of which Harry and Meghan are president and vice-president respectively.The Sussexes spoke of historic injustice, unconscious bias and racism in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, and said the Commonwealth, which grew out of the British empire and is headed by Prince Harry’s grandmother the Queen, needed to follow the example of others, and accepted it would not be easy
War powers reform essential after decision to spend $270bn on military hardware, former defence secretary saysAustralia’s decision to ramp up spending on military hardware makes it even more important that parliament is given the power to vote on whether the country goes to war, a former defence secretary has said.Paul Barratt, who headed the Australian defence department from 1998 to 1999, has also warned that Covid-19 could drive some countries to further pursue automated warfare – a trend that would increase the risk of conflict. Continue reading...
First day of former Conservative MP’s trial hears details of alleged sexual assault in 2007A former Conservative MP on trial for allegedly assaulting two women chased one of them around his home chanting “I’m a naughty Tory” after groping her, a court has been told.The woman feared for her safety and locked herself in a room when Charlie Elphicke ran after her and tried to smack her bottom following the alleged assault in 2007, jurors heard on the first day of his trial. Continue reading...
Couple say process will be uncomfortable but ‘needs to be done because everyone benefits’The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said the Commonwealth “must acknowledge the past”, even if it is “uncomfortable”, as the couple spoke of historic injustice, unconscious bias and racism in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.They said the Commonwealth, which grew out of the British empire and is headed by Prince Harry’s grandmother the Queen, needed to follow the example of others, and they accepted it would not be easy. Continue reading...
Protesters have held up blank pieces of white paper to avoid using slogans banned under a new national security law in Hong Kong on Monday.The law, which was imposed by China after anti-government protests last year, has made it illegal to shout slogans or hold up banners and flags calling for the city’s independence. Hong Kong police cleared the group of demonstrators who gathered in a shopping centre in the central business district
A man was Tasered and arrested by West Midlands police after the incidentTwo paramedics have been taken to hospital after being stabbed during a callout to a property in Wolverhampton.West Midlands police said they arrested a man after the incident on Monday afternoon. West Midlands ambulance service (WMAS) said the paramedics were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. It said a man who had been Tasered by police also received treatment. Continue reading...
Ofcom ruled that the channel aired forced confessions from a former British journalistChina’s state-owned TV channel could be banned from the UK after the broadcast regulator Ofcom found it had aired forced confessions.China Global Television Network (CGTN), China’s English-language news network, faces statutory sanctions as a result of the ruling, which was based on a complaint from the former British journalist Peter Humphrey. Continue reading...
Composer Ennio Morricone has died at the age of 91. In a career that spanned seven decades and produced over 500 scores, he created some of the most memorable soundtracks in cinematic history. Here we look back at his life and career•Peter Bradshaw on Ennio Morricone: a composer with a thrilling ability to hit the emotional jugular Continue reading...
Social media sites suspend process as they assess impact of new national security lawFacebook and its WhatsApp messaging service have “paused” the processing of government requests for user data in Hong Kong, the company said.WhatsApp is pausing such reviews “pending further assessment of the impact of the national security law, including formal human rights due diligence and consultations with human rights experts”, a spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. Continue reading...
Oscar-winning Italian film composer Ennio Morricone has died aged 91. His creative career spanned 500 scores over 50 years working with Giuseppe Tornatore, Barry Levinson, Quentin Tarantino and Sergio Leone, with whom he defined the western. His first Oscar for best original score only came in 2016 when he was 88 for Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight
Powerful political dance from Brooklyn’s FlexN and the spectacle of the Helicopter String Quartet are part of British artistic director’s programmeParis’s Théâtre du Châtelet reopened last autumn after a two-year restoration, before being forced to close again because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But undeterred, this week the theatre serves up a digital festival, Après, Demain, featuring a couple of new creations, existing dance and music performances, short films and talks (in French, bien sûr) and previews of major commissions to come.The opening weekend’s offerings asked for differing amounts of commitment: Ten minutes for Brooklyn street dancers FlexN, six hours for Stockhausen’s epic opera Mittwoch aus Licht. It’s definitely worth putting aside that 10 minutes (recordings remain online until the end of the festival). Reggie Gray’s flexing crew, FlexN, and their powerfully political dance rooted in young black America could not be more pertinent. Gray’s Loud Silence, filmed on the bridges and streets of New York, intersperses footage of Black Lives Matters protests with forthright, frustrated, imploring solos from his dancers, who move with rangy grace, muscular impact, and the crooked contortions of the style known as bone-breaking. A shorter second film, Black, by Cal Hunt, is set to the song of the same name by British rapper Dave. Its movement is like a stream of consciousness that flows with a soft pop, deftly picking out lyrics with mime – lyrics that are powerful enough that Hunt knows his dance doesn’t have to shout. Continue reading...
City of Melbourne report vindicates Kharla Williams’s claim Doyle touched her leg and made offensive remarksFormer Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle was “sleazy” and sexually inappropriate to a woman at an awards ceremony in 2016, an investigation has found.It vindicates previous claims by Kharla Williams that the then lord mayor touched her leg and made offensive remarks to her at the Melbourne Health awards ceremony. Continue reading...
Governing HDZ set to form ruling coalition amid row over intervention by EC presidentCroatia’s rightwing governing party has won the country’s parliamentary elections, amid controversy over a political intervention in the campaign by European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.With 95% of the votes counted on Monday morning, the governing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) was set to win 66 seats in the 151-seat parliament, after an election that took place amid a spike in coronavirus cases. The HDZ is likely to form a ruling coalition with a number of smaller parties, which will give the prime minister, Andrej Plenković, a second term in office. Continue reading...
by Ben Beaumont-Thomas and Laura Snapes on (#55DGV)
Morricone’s work helped define the western but he went on to work across all film genres•Peter Bradshaw on Ennio Morricone: a composer with a thrilling ability to hit the emotional jugularEnnio Morricone, the Italian composer whose symphonic scores backed everything from spaghetti westerns to romance, horror and sci-fi films, has died aged 91.Morricone had broken his femur days ago and died during the night in a clinic in Rome. His death was confirmed by his lawyer, Giorgio Assumma. In a statement, Assumma said that the composer “died at dawn on 6 July in Rome with the comfort of faith. He preserved until the final moment full lucidity and great dignity. Continue reading...
Latest updates: how has Covid-19 progressed where you live? Check the week-on-week changes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern IrelandThe map shows local authorities where the number of cases has increased week-on-week and where it has fallen. Some of this is due to natural fluctuations, especially in areas where there are very few cases, and so a rise from 1 to 2 is a doubling. Increased testing also means that more cases may be being detected than previously, although the impact of this between one week and the next is likely to be slight. Continue reading...
by Jonathan Watts Global environment editor on (#55DEH)
People do not want to go back to the way things were, but the good intentions could fade without the right leadershipBritain is crying out for a better normal. Communities across the country are emerging from lockdown with a new sense of what is possible and what is necessary – and the answers to both go a lot further than Westminster’s efforts to drive the country back to business as usual.That was the overriding impression from a two-week reporting trip around Britain, asking people in different regions how they view recovery and whether there is an appetite for more fundamental change. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correcpondent on (#55DDF)
Hundreds of survivors and the bereaved will be unable to attend under distancing rulesBuilders behind the disastrous Grenfell Tower refurbishment are finally set to face public questioning over the June 2017 fire that killed 72 people, as the delayed public inquiry resumes on Monday with strict social distancing rules that have angered the bereaved.Hundreds of survivors, families and residents are among those who will be prohibited from attending the hearings, which will be conducted with only the inquiry panel, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, witnesses, their lawyers and cross-examining inquiry counsel present in the Paddington hearing room. Everyone else is being invited to follow proceedings online. Continue reading...
At least 50 people have been killed after the river Kuma in Kyushu burst its banks, triggering floods and mudslidesRescue workers were combing through the wreckage of houses hit by flooding and landslides in Japan after extreme weather left more than 50 people dead or missing on the southern island of Kyushu.The Kyodo news agency said 40 people had died in the floods and at least 11 were missing. Among the dead were 14 residents of an elderly care home in Kuma village, Kumamoto, where the nearby Kuma river flooded. More torrential rain is forecast for coming days. Continue reading...
Channel Nine initially promoted One Nation leader’s comments describing people locked down due to coronavirus as ‘drug addicts’ who ‘cannot speak English’• Follow live updates in Monday’s Australia coronavirus blog
India has reported its largest one day increase in coronavirus cases, as the country continues to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The health ministry reported 25,000 new cases and 613 deaths in 24 hours, weeks after the country when into a strict lockdown. The news comes as a new temporary hospital capable of housing 10,000 beds is opened in the capital, New Delhi
Company says it has ‘paused’ its relationship with the social media company as part of global movement against hate speechNew Zealand’s largest newspaper group has temporarily quit Facebook in a bold “experiment” akignment with a global boycott of the social media site, which has been condemned for failing to crack down on escalating hate speech.Stuff is the biggest news media website in New Zealand and owns dozens of newspapers around the country, employing more than 400 journalists. Continue reading...
Tony-nominated actor spent more than 90 days in hospital and had his right leg amputatedThe Tony award-nominated Broadway actor Nick Cordero, who starred in hit musicals including Waitress, A Bronx Tale and Bullets Over Broadway, has died in Los Angeles from severe medical complications after contracting coronavirus. He was 41.Cordero died on Sunday at Cedars-Sinai hospital after spending more than 90 days in the hospital, according to his wife, Amanda Kloots. “God has another angel in heaven now,” she posted on Instagram. “Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband.” Continue reading...
by Presented by Rachel Humphreys with Carmela Fonbuen on (#55DAT)
One of the most prominent journalists in the Philippines has been convicted of ‘cyberlibel’ in a court process condemned by human rights groups. Journalist Carmela Fonbuena in Manila describes the chilling effect the verdict has had on free expressionMaria Ressa is one of the most prominent journalists in the Philippines with decades of experience in print and TV reporting. She is also executive editor of Rappler, an online news site.In June she was convicted in a criminal court of the recently created offence of ‘cyberlibel’ over an article published in 2012 - before the law had come into effect. The article had subsequently been updated to correct a spelling error, allowing prosecutors to argue it had been republished. Continue reading...
The drama of ‘Megxit’ and a national crisis have seen Kate adorn UK newspapers, magazines and TV screensWhether plunging her hands into compost for a hospice garden or virtual bingo-calling at a care home, we’ve seen a lot of the Duchess of Cambridge recently.The dramatic “Megxit” departure of the Duchess of Sussex, and a national crisis during which royals are traditionally expected to apply PR balm, has seen ubiquitous Kate adorn UK newspapers, magazines and TV screens, all attesting that she has enjoyed a good lockdown. Continue reading...
Seven weekend fatalities in Australian waters, including death of diver and spear fishermanThree men have died after their boat capsized off Sydney’s southern coastline.Emergency services were called to La Perouse about 12.30pm on Sunday following reports a boat had capsized near the lighthouse. Continue reading...
The British are famous for queueing, but during the pandemic we’ve gone to new lengths. What does our ability to stand patiently say about us?The line snaked ominously around the forecourt. I knew B&Q mid-lockdown would be bad, but I hadn’t quite appreciated how bad. “They should call it Q&Q,” my son remarked. There were at least 50 people in a socially distanced trolley conga, braving airborne particles and suspicious glances to lay their hands on shelf brackets, parasols, titanium-tipped screws.What was my excuse? Just as a driver complains about being “in traffic” when they are in fact, traffic, so the queuer laments the phenomenon they create. I was painting my kitchen, I had run out of paint, a retail park just off the M5 was the only place where I could lay my hands on the right brand and shade, the government had said it was OK and we were wearing masks. But I also wanted to subject the queue to the sort of study that the anthropologist Kate Fox pioneered while researching her 2004 classic, Watching the English, which spends a lot of time discussing the commonly held notion that we are a nation of queuers. “An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one,” noted the Hungarian émigré George Mikes in his bestselling 1946 book, How to be an Alien. In his 1944 essay The English People, George Orwell remarked on “the orderly behaviour of English crowds, the lack of pushing and quarrelling, the willingness to form queues.” Continue reading...
Nestlé is big in York, but the city is fighting the brand’s decision to make life harder for African cocoa farmersHere’s a quiz question: how many KitKats are produced in the Nestlé factory in York each year? A hundred million? Keep going. The plant makes a billion of the UK’s bestselling chocolate bars annually. That volume is one reason that the company’s shameful decision to end the brand’s Fairtrade certification will have such a devastating effect on cocoa farmers.I visited some of the Fairtrade-certified cocoa farms in Ivory Coast last year. Seeing the difference that a measure of financial security can make to some of the poorest villages on earth is a lasting lesson in the mechanics of hope. Continue reading...
PM tells party’s annual conference NZ has been ‘put to the test’ by coronavirus, Christchurch and White IslandJacinda Ardern has delivered a rousing speech to the Labour party faithful at its annual conference ahead of September’s election.The prime minister addressed her annual party congress at Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum in Wellington on Sunday, kick-starting the party’s campaign and revealing Labour’s slogan: “Let’s keep moving”. Continue reading...
Rapper uses Independence Day to make announcement, but it’s not clear if he has filed any official paperwork to appear on ballotsJust when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any weirder, rapper Kanye West declared his candidacy for US president.The unlikely challenger to Donald Trump – of whom he has been a vocal supporter – and Joe Biden, chose American independence day to make the surprise announcement on Twitter, triggering a social media storm. Continue reading...
The former Bega mayor looks all but certain to hold on to the seat after postal and prepoll votes swing towards LaborLabor has claimed victory in the Eden-Monaro byelection with Kristy McBain saying she would follow in Mike Kelly’s footsteps and not be “hyper-partisan” and put her electorate first, with a focus on rolling out bushfire relief to ravaged communities.McBain maintained a narrow lead over the Liberal candidate, Fiona Kotvojs, from the moment counting began on Saturday night, a trend which continued as counting resumed on Sunday. Continue reading...
Overwhelming on a human scale, the Indigenous remains held at the South Australian Museum speak to a terrible stain on Adelaide’s past. But justice is coming
The Morrison government re-centres defence strategy on the Indo-Pacific region – and subtly changes tone on the USIt may well be the biggest shift in Australia’s defence strategy in decades.The Australian government has ordered the military to focus mainly on Australia’s backyard, to acquire longer-range missiles to build up its own ability to deter threats from countries such as China, and cautioned the United States not to necessarily expect Australian participation in future coalition efforts in places like the Middle East. Continue reading...
Haacaaluu Hundeessaa was shot dead in Addis Ababa on Monday night, fuelling ethnic tensionsAt least 166 people have died during violent demonstrations that roiled Ethiopia in the days following the murder of popular singer Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, police said Saturday.The singer, a member of the Oromo ethnic group, Ethiopia’s largest, was shot dead by unknown attackers in Addis Ababa on Monday night, fuelling ethnic tensions threatening the country’s democratic transition. Continue reading...