Schillings, which represents the Duchess of Sussex, was paid $1.3m for work for Jho Low, financier at centre of 1MDB scandal

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...

Philip Alston says Covid-19 crisis has underlined scale of challenge facing country

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...

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...

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...

Daniel Andrews says Victoria reported 127 new coronavirus cases on Monday along with two deaths, bringing the state’s death toll to 22

The world’s most relatable megastar talks about his Covid-19 experience, his fears for the future, and whether he’s really just so gosh darned nice

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...

Armada 1588: Shipwreck and Survival tells turbulent tale on bucolic stretch of Irish coast

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...

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...

What does ‘hard lockdown’ mean and what assistance is available to residents?

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...

Migrants have been onboard vessel operated by charity SOS Méditerranée for over a week

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...

Despite the pledge to give the service ‘whatever it needs’ to tackle the pandemic, any extra funding now comes with strings attached

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...

The city’s bars, clubs and even massage parlours are beginning to buzz again but the absence of tourists is taking its toll

Police appeal for witnesses after a man was pronounced dead in Islington on SaturdayPolice in north London are investigating the fatal shooting in broad daylight of a man believed to be in his early 20s.The Metropolitan police said officers and paramedics were called to Roman Way beside Pentonville prison in in Islington at 3.20pm on Saturday, where a man was suffering from gunshot injuries. Continue reading...

Fire follows several other incidents at facilities across the country, including some at sensitive sitesA fire broke out at a power station in south-western Iran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, the latest in a string of fires and explosions, some of which have hit sensitive sites.The blaze, which affected a transformer in the power station in the city of Ahvaz, was put out by firefighters and electricity was restored after partial outages, Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, a spokesman for state-run power company Tavanir, told the semi-official news agency Tasnim. Continue reading...

The vehicle hit the front of The Swan Inn near Ashford in Kent at around 2am on SaturdayA pub has managed to open despite a car crashing into its front in the early hours, the landlord said.The Swan Inn at Little Chart, near Ashford in Kent, will still be able to serve pints to customers outside despite the landlord being woken by the devastation at about 2am on Saturday. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson has refused to criticise his father over trip to holiday home during lockdownThe prime minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, has defended travelling to his villa in Greece amid growing condemnation by saying that he was making the property “Covid-proof”.Government guidelines state that British nationals should avoid all but essential travel, but his son Boris has refused to criticise the trip and, on Friday, suggested the media should raise the issue directly with his father. Continue reading...

Andrzej Duda, who is running for re-election, will propose a constitutional amendment later this monthPoland’s president, Andrzej Duda, who is running for re-election in the conservative, Catholic EU member, said on Saturday that he wanted the constitution to explicitly forbid the adoption of children by same-sex couples.He said he planned to propose a constitutional amendment on Monday. Continue reading...

Pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, cinemas and theme parks reopen, and weddings and baptisms take place as the lockdown eases Continue reading...

City brewer Truman’s Social Club hosts dozens of high-spirited customers – in car park

Judge says it would be unfair to stop Heard watching Depp give evidence in libel case over domestic abuse claimsJohnny Depp has failed to stop his ex-wife Amber Heard from watching him give evidence in a libel case over allegations of domestic abuse.The actor is suing the publisher of the Sun, News Group Newspapers (NGN), and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over a 2018 article which described Depp as a “wife beater”. Continue reading...

Ryan Colaço had been driving home from interview and was wrongly accused of concealing drugs

Postal votes are still to be counted but ALP’s Kristy McBain is just ahead of Liberal Fiona KotvojsLabor has pulled in front at the close of the count in the Eden-Monaro byelection on Saturday night – but the contest remains tight, with postal votes still to tally.While senior Labor sources expressed confidence that Kristy McBain would get across the line, and the ABC’s respected election analyst Antony Green predicted a likely Labor win after a five week campaign conducted in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, the count remained in progress. Continue reading...

London mayor says violence at White City event that left seven officers hurt was disgracefulThe London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has condemned violence at a street party in west London as disgraceful after seven police officers were injured.Bricks and other missiles were thrown at officers as they tried to disperse the illegal rave in White City on Friday night. Continue reading...

As more troops self-medicate with psychedelic drugs to help with PTSD, a group of experts lobby for proper clinical trialsA growing number of soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder are turning to “magic mushrooms” and LSD to treat their condition. But drug laws make it almost impossible to establish whether they work.Now a new body, the Medical Psychedelics Working Group, a consortium of experts, academics, researchers, policy specialists and industry partners, is to begin lobbying for a change in the law so that scientists can conduct clinical trials. Continue reading...

Ministers said to be weighing benefits against broader desire to cut ties with Brussels

Bermudian-born actor rose to prominence in the 1950s in films such as Pool of London and Sapphire, as well as appearing in the 007 film ThunderballEarl Cameron, who with his debut role in the 1951 film Pool of London, became one of the first significant black actors in British cinema, has died aged 102. His agent confirmed the news to the Guardian, saying “he passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and family” on Friday in Kenilworth in Warwickshire.Cameron’s significance to the current generation of black British actors was underlined by tributes on social media. David Harewood described him as “a total legend”, while Paterson Joseph wrote: “His generation’s pioneering shoulders are what my generation of actors stand on. No shoulders were broader than this gentleman with the voice of god and the heart of a kindly prince.” Historian David Olusoga added: “A remarkable and wonderful man. Not just a brilliant actor but a link to a deeper history.” Continue reading...

Footage on social media shows police officers being pelted with objects, forcing the officers to retreat, when they attempted to break up an unlicensed music event in White City, west London, on Friday night. The police intervention follows a warning by the Met that it would crackdown on illegal parties that flouted social distancing rules

Animal rights groups hail decision to prohibit trade in north-eastern regionAuthorities in India’s north-eastern state of Nagaland have banned the sale of dog meat and halted the import and trading of dogs to be used for food, said officials.The remote Christian-majority state’s chief secretary Temjen Toy tweeted that the state government had banned all commercial import and trading of dogs. The sale of dog meat, both cooked and uncooked, has also been banned. The move followed an appeal earlier in the week by Indian politician Maneka Gandhi, who urged the Nagaland government to act. Continue reading...

Illuminations and clapping will mark NHS birthday in its ‘most challenging year’

Police say material, including photos of acts with newborns, shared on a well-known instant messaging platformROME (AP) — Italian police say they have broken up a child abuse ring used to share illicit material, including photos of newborns, via an instant messaging platform.Police said on Saturday that the crackdown involved dozens of search warrants and led to the arrest of three people for allegedly possessing what was described in a statement as “huge quantities of pornographic material depicting minors”. About 50 people are under investigation. Continue reading...

Residents use wordplay including repurposed Chinese Communist party dogma to express frustrationHongkongers are finding creative ways to voice dissent after Beijing blanketed the city in a new security law and police began arresting people displaying now forbidden political slogans.Faced with the sudden threat of prosecution for anything that might promote greater autonomy or independence for the restless city, residents are using wordplay and even subverting Chinese Communist party dogma to express their frustration. Continue reading...