Police say independent pollster may have been hacked but there are fears of link to pro-democracy opposition’s primary electionHong Kong police have searched the office of an independent political pollster days after Beijing imposed sweeping national security legislation on the former British colony.The raid came ahead of weekend primary elections for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy opposition, for which pollster Robert Chung’s Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute is a co-organiser. Continue reading...

The musician’s dramatic move has met with mockery. But perhaps his aim is to fuse spiritual authority, political power and merchandisingOnce the strangest of bedfellows, Kanye West and Donald Trump are now officially rivals.On the Fourth of July, the California-based rapper and entrepreneur tweeted that he was running for president, citing his belief in God and immediately winning the “full support” of his fellow billionaire Elon Musk – who, per the candidate himself, will head up America’s space program under a West administration. Continue reading...

Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong retains overwhelming majority as popular vote slips amid coronavirus pandemicSingapore’s governing party has comfortably won the city-state’s general election but faced a setback as the opposition made minor but historic gains.The prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, said his People’s Action party (PAP) secured 83 parliamentary seats on Friday, retaining its overwhelming majority with 89% of the total seats, but its popular vote dipped to 61%. The Workers’ party, the only opposition with a presence in the parliament, increased its seats from six to 10 – the biggest victory for the opposition since independence. Continue reading...

Australian Christian College Moreton ordered to apologise to Cyrus Taniela after ‘discrimination on the basis of race’A private Christian school in Brisbane has been found to have discriminated against a five-year-old Cook Islands boy for threatening to expel him for having long hair, grown for cultural reasons.The Australian Christian College Moreton was ordered to apologise to Cyrus Taniela after it told his family the boy’s hair must be cut by the start of semester two on Monday, or he would have to leave. Continue reading...

Efforts by authorities to meet the needs of residents became adequate and impressive – but three days too lateI am not sure which is the more terrifying: the idea that the premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, had sufficient evidence to justify locking up about 3,000 of my neighbours, or the idea that he didn’t and was doing it anyway.Last Saturday, shortly after 4pm, Andrews announced that the public housing tenants of Flemington and North Melbourne were to be detained in forced quarantine because of potentially high rates of Covid-19. They would be prohibited from leaving their homes for any reason. Continue reading...

An attack by a pro-Beijing mob prompted an ingenius response by joggers – but the unique protest is under threat by new national security lawsOn 21 July last year Hong Kong police took 39 minutes to arrive at the Yuen Long metro station where mobs of white-clad men attacked commuters and pro-democracy protesters, beating them with metal and wooden rods. At least 45 people were injured, including a pregnant woman.The closest dispatch station was about one mile away. Continue reading...

The region is largely coronavirus-free, but pandemic shutdowns and loss of tourism dollars are devastating its economiesThe Covid-19 pandemic is the “job-killer of the century”, Fiji’s prime minister has said, as economies across the Pacific face collapse from economic and travel shutdowns, exacerbating existing illnesses, and potentially driving people into hunger.While the number of cases across the Pacific remains low – several countries across the Pacific remain Covid-free and continue to enforce strict border closures – the economic impacts have devastated tourism- and import-dependent economies. Continue reading...

Anjum Rahman and Aliya Danzeisen have devoted their lives to raising awareness of the warning signs before the terror attackIt was another long drive, another night away from home and another morning thinking nervously about what they would say, hoping this time they would be taken seriously. Then, in the back room of an Auckland mosque, Anjum Rahman and Aliya Danzeisen sat down in front of TV cameras to explain how they had tried to prevent a terrorist attack.The women – an accountant and a high school teacher – knew that by giving a news conference they were “opening ourselves up to another round of hate”, Danzeisen tells the Guardian afterwards, sitting cross-legged next to Rahman on the floor of the mosque. She adds that many New Zealanders would not understand how much aggression the friends receive when they speak publicly about anything. Continue reading...

Labor’s Senate leader warns against ‘anti-China rhetoric’ during Covid-19 crisis and says climate change will be ‘the next pandemic’

WE Charity, which was awarded multimillion-dollar government contract, paid PM’s mother and wife for appearances at eventsPolitical rivals of Justin Trudeau are calling for a criminal investigation after it emerged that members of his family were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by a charity to which his government recently awarded a substantial contract.The multinational WE Charity confirmed on Thursday that Trudeau’s wife, mother and brother had been paid for appearances at charity events over the years. Margaret Trudeau, the prime minister’s mother and wife of the former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, has been paid nearly C$250,000 (US$182,000) since 2016 – far more than any other family member. Continue reading...

News updates: PM says scientific advice on masks has shifted and moves away from ‘work at home’ message; Sage scientists say stars should be enlisted for public messages as public has lost trust in government

Businesses will discover details of customs regime after Brexit on Monday

Metropolitan Melbourne returned to lockdown on 8 July after Victoria recorded 191 new cases of coronavirus since the start of the week, which was at the time the highest daily increase since the pandemic began.Guardian Australia’s Melissa Davey explains why the stage 3 stay-at-home orders were announced, how the latest lockdown has been met with a mixture of fury and acceptance, and whether this apparent second wave could have been avoided

Tuckman, a ‘sensitive and tenacious reporter’ who loved Mexico, had been undergoing cancer treatmentJo Tuckman, who for many years reported for the Guardian in Mexico, has died aged 53.Jo had been undergoing treatment for cancer since falling ill last year, and died at her home in Mexico City on Thursday afternoon, surrounded by close friends. Continue reading...

Aaron McKenzie broke into Kelly Fauvrelle’s bedroom and stabbed her 21 timesA man has been found guilty of stabbing his pregnant ex-girlfriend in a jealous rage, killing her and their baby.Aaron McKenzie, 26, broke into Kelly Fauvrelle’s bedroom as she slept and stabbed her 21 times, causing catastrophic injuries, the Old Bailey was told. Continue reading...

The actor and writer mined her own dark experiences of assault and racism for the BBC hit drama I May Destroy YouMichaela Coel’s drama I May Destroy You has passed the point where we argue about whether it is a hit. The story of Arabella, a young London writer who’s drugged and raped, and embarks on a quest for justice and self-knowledge, has been a passport for millions of BBC viewers into a world of shifting boundaries around sexual consent, generational clashes, social media addiction and drugs.Coel, 32, stars, writes and co-directs the drama, which has also launched on America’s HBO. The scrutiny means she’s been prodded to excavate her own past, after she was drugged and assaulted by an unknown assailant in her 20s. So, to Coel the same question that Arabella’s friend asks her on-screen character: why return to the worst of days with such punishing intensity? Continue reading...

Death of Haacaaluu Hundeessaa triggered protests last week that killed 166 peopleEthiopian authorities have arrested two suspects over the killing of a popular political singer, whose death last week sparked protests in which 166 people were killed.The shooting of Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, a musician widely revered among his Oromo ethnic group, ignited protests in Addis Ababa and the surrounding Oromiya region. The prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, described his killing as “an evil act”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: health secretary said to be frustrated by his lack of authority over NHS England boss Simon Stevens

Claims of staged killing after police say Vikas Dubey was shot while trying to escape arrest

Mark Royden convicted of attempted theft of the charter and criminal damage to display case

Collaboration with Kid Cudi takes aim at people spreading Covid-19 by not wearing masks

Status of Unesco-listed 1,500-year-old building has been hotly debated for decadesA Turkish court ruling has paved the way for Istanbul’s crowning architectural jewel, the Hagia Sophia museum, to be turned back into a mosque – a politically charged decision that has drawn international criticism but delighted the president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s conservative base.Turkey’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, ruled unanimously on Friday to annul a 1934 presidential decree that stripped the Hagia Sophia of its religious status and turned it into a museum. The government can now take steps to convert the 1,500-year-old building back into a Muslim house of worship. Continue reading...

Staff say their allegations of sexual abuse and harassment have not been taken seriouslyThe charities watchdog is investigating “safeguarding and governance concerns” at a Newcastle cinema where staff have complained that their allegations of sexual abuse and harassment were not taken seriously.More than 140 current and former employees signed a letter last month demanding a change in workplace culture at the Tyneside Cinema after serious allegations against serving staff were made public on social media. Continue reading...

EU loopholes allow use of banned pesticides known to be major killers of key speciesBees and other wild pollinators are not being protected from decline by the EU, with loopholes even allowing for the use of banned pesticides known to be major killers of key species.A report from the European court of auditors has found that Brussels’ efforts to prevent the decline of bees, wasps, hoverflies, butterflies, moths, and beetles have been largely ineffective. Continue reading...

Commission negotiating with Johnson & Johnson to put Europeans ahead of queue

British Transport Police say instruction to Jessie-Lu Flynn at BLM protest was unlawfulPolice have apologised to a woman who officers challenged at a Black Lives Matter demonstration for wearing an anti-Boris Johnson T-shirt and admitted that asking her to cover up the slogan on her clothing was unlawful.Jessie-Lu Flynn, an actor who is also the founder of the immersive theatre company Wide Eyes, was wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Fuck Boris” at a BLM rally in central London on 3 June. She had worn the T-shirt on more than a dozen occasions without being challenged by police. Continue reading...

National Oil Company move could be a sign of progress in UN-led talks

Its findings should illuminate global responses amid conspiracy theories and Trump’s mudslingingIn the world of epidemiology it’s sometimes said that pandemics are lived forwards and understood backwards.We encounter them head-on, chaotically, trying to fathom the disease in real time even while trying to mitigate its impact. Lessons generally come later as the evidence accumulates. Continue reading...

Even as remains continue to be identified, denialism is moving from far-right fringe into mainstreamAt the genocide memorial centre outside Srebrenica, thousands of simple white gravestones stretch across the gently inclined hillside for as far as the eye can see.Nearby, over a number of days in July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces systematically murdered around 8,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) men and boys. It was the worst crime of the Bosnian war, and remains the only massacre on European soil since the second world war to be ruled a genocide. Continue reading...

Sanctions target mid- or low-level officials and will have little impact on the wealthiestHe is known as Vladimir Putin’s enforcer. Almost every criminal case in Russia – from Pussy Riot to anti-government street protests – passes his desk. But as of last week Moscow’s top law officer, Alexander Bastrykin, is no longer welcome in Britain. He is banned from owning property, opening a bank account or popping over from Moscow for a weekend jaunt.Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s powerful investigative committee, was one of 25 Russians sanctioned by the UK. All were allegedly involved in human rights abuses – specifically in the mistreatment of Sergei Magnitsky, who was beaten to death in 2009 in a Moscow jail. Bastrykin covered up the case, No 10 says. Others named and shamed include judges, interior ministry officials and prison staff. Continue reading...

Tourists slowly returning to Spain’s Balearic Islands after months-long coronavirus lockdown

Libel trial hears details of row over excrement in bed and a final confrontationJohnny Depp has denied hurling a phone at Amber Heard in the final confrontation of their turbulent marriage.Details of the alleged incident in their LA home as the couple were breaking up emerged on the fourth day of Depp’s cross-examination at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Continue reading...

Will anyone attend the livestreamed fringe events without free sandwiches as inducements?There are times I feel I’m losing my touch as a hypochondriac. There were long periods during my 40s and 50s when I would only have to exhibit the mildest of symptoms and I would be on the phone to the doctor – with Google almost any symptom can be potentially fatal. I’ve lost track of the number of blood tests and more invasive procedures I’ve had in order to find out I’m not about to die. Continue reading...

Syria’s rebel-held province has been dreading an outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic

Open letter by former judges, leading politicians and campaigners urges home secretary to grant asylum to Sudanese girlBarristers, former judges, politicians and campaigners are among 300 people who have signed an open letter to the home secretary, Priti Patel, urging her to grant asylum to an 11-year-old girl at high risk of female genital mutilation if taken abroad.Helena Kennedy QC, former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal, campaigner Leyla Hussein and more than 30 MPs have added their names to the letter published by the the Good Law Project alongside a petition launched today. Continue reading...

The international trade secretary fears the UK may fail to comply with WTO rules. But the real problem will be trade with the EUThe international trade secretary, Liz Truss, joins a long list of people concerned that the UK may not be as ready for Brexit on 1 January 2021 as it needs to be.In a letter to cabinet colleagues this week, she has reportedly raised concerns that the UK will not be operating a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliant border when we leave the EU. It was an embarrassing revelation, particularly coming on the same day as the UK was nominating her predecessor, Liam Fox, as the man to lead the WTO into a new era. Continue reading...

Los Angeles police charge two men with murder after rapper was shot dead during a home invasion in Hollywood in FebruaryFive people have been arrested in connection with the death of Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke. The 20-year-old artist, born Bashar Jackson, was shot dead in a suspected robbery that took place in a rented apartment in Hollywood, California, on 19 February.Los Angeles Police Department said it had arrested three adult males and two minors. Corey Walker, 19, and Keandre Rodgers, 18, have been charged with murder. Twenty-one-year-old Jaquan Murphy has been charged with attempted murder. Continue reading...

Hidden Corner has rapidly become one of the country’s most discussed and watched showsIn the hit Chinese web series, Hidden Corner, a children’s song presages the show’s most violent moments.“Under the blue, blue skies, in the silver river is a small white boat,” three young children sing tremulously, looking into a camera propped up on the mountainside where they have just hiked on a clear summer day. In the background, a man is taking a photo of his elderly in-laws posed against bright green foliage. He adjusts their legs and hands, pauses and then pushes them off the cliff. Continue reading...

As the brutality of drumlines and culling is exposed, ingenious new ideas are being trialled to protect humans from sharks – and vice versaIn 2017, surf champion Kelly Slater responded on Instagram to the death of Alexandre Naussac, a bodyboarder who died after a shark attack: “Honestly, I won’t be popular for saying this but there needs to be a serious cull,” Slater wrote. “There is a clear imbalance happening in the ocean there … 20 attacks since 2011!?”Réunion Island, the French overseas department in the Indian Ocean where Naussac died, did indeed see 24 shark attacks between 2010 and 2019, 10 of which were fatal. If anywhere is a shark attack hotspot, it’s here: one-sixth of recorded fatal attacks globally from 2011–20016 happened in the island’s murky water, which appeals to bull sharks but makes it harder to spot them. Overfishing has been cited as another possible reason for the high incidence of attacks, as sharks move nearer land to find food. Continue reading...

The arts institution, which is home to eight resident arts companies, had gone into voluntary administration in MaySydney arts institution Carriageworks has been saved from administration after the NSW government backed a multi-million dollar lifeline from a group of 15 philanthropists.The multi-arts organisation that operates performance and gallery spaces in repurposed 1880s locomotive workshops in Sydney’s inner west owes more than $2m to more than 140 creditors, and went into voluntary administration on 4 May. Continue reading...

Medical charity accused of shoring up colonialism and white supremacy in its workThe medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières is institutionally racist and reinforces colonialism and white supremacy in its humanitarian work, according to an internal statement signed by 1,000 current and former members of staff.The statement accused MSF of failing to acknowledge the extent of racism perpetuated by its policies, hiring practices, workplace culture and “dehumanising” programmes, run by a “privileged white minority” workforce. Continue reading...

Park Won-soon found dead two days after former secretary files criminal complaintSouth Korea has been left in shock after the mayor of Seoul apparently killed himself amid allegations of sexual harassment.Park Won-soon, an activist and lawyer who had led the capital for 10 years, was discovered dead after a search party involving hundreds of officers was launched by police. A fire brigade search dog located Park’s body in a wooded area on Mount Bukak in central Seoul one minute after midnight local time (1601 BST) on Friday. Continue reading...

Research company owned by associates of senior Tory and PM’s adviser gets £840,000 job

More than 1,500 Mexican immigrants have died in the US and families face hurdles as they seek to return their loved ones’ remainsMedel Huesca liked to dance, play cumbia music, and host backyard cookouts at the house he shared with relatives in Valley Stream, New York. He was deeply loyal, and kept close ties to his family in Veracruz, Mexico, despite having been away for twenty years.He worked two jobs – at a supermarket and for a meat supplier – to support his wife and six children back home; he provided uniforms to his youngest daughter’s baseball team, and he called home nearly every day. Continue reading...

ABS-CBN denied licence after repeatedly clashing with President Rodrigo DuterteLawmakers in the Philippines have voted against the renewal of a 25-year franchise for the nation’s biggest broadcaster, ABS-CBN, ensuring a media conglomerate that has clashed with the country’s firebrand president stays off the air indefinitely.A legislative committee overwhelmingly supported a house working group’s assessment that ABS-CBN was “undeserving of the grant of legislative franchise”, a decision likely to anger activists who say media freedom has come under sustained attack during the rule of President Rodrigo Duterte. Continue reading...

Pop-up testing facility to be set up in Sydney hotel car park as Victorian premier says 37,588 tests were conducted in the state yesterday. Follow live news and updates

Country’s indigenous groups count for 12.8% of population but government response has been criticised as ‘monocultural’Away from the grey tower blocks and sprawling suburbs of Chile’s capital, Santiago, the country’s indigenous communities are facing new challenges during the pandemic.The country’s 10 indigenous groups account for 12.8% of the population, scattered from the southernmost tip of Patagonia to the dry plains of the Atacama Desert in the north, and remote Easter Island in the South Pacific. Continue reading...

Mike Pompeo says US ‘will not stand idly by’ over abuses of ethnic minorities in China’s western region of XinjiangThe United States has imposed sanctions on three senior officials of the Chinese Communist party, including a member of the ruling politburo, for alleged human rights abuses targeting ethnic and religious minorities in the western part of the country.Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a statement: “The United States will not stand idly by as the Chinese Communist party carries out human rights abuses targeting Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang, to include forced labor, arbitrary mass detention, and forced population control, and attempts to erase their culture and Muslim faith.” 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...

Revealed: Gangs abandoned trafficked Nigerian women without access to food or funds amid coronavirus pandemicThousands of Nigerian women forced into prostitution were left to starve by sex traffickers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy, the Guardian can reveal.According to the UN’s International Office for Migration (IOM), more than 80% of the tens of thousands of Nigerian women who arrived in Italy from Libya in recent years were victims of highly organised sex trafficking gangs. The women are forced into prostitution to pay off debts of up to €40,000 (£36,000) and controlled through violence and fear of “juju” black magic rituals they are made to undergo before their journey to Europe. Continue reading...