Federal government refuses to release disclosures, saying they were made ‘in confidence’, amid calls for greater transparencyOnly one of the six commissioners on Scott Morrison’s Covid-19 commission has volunteered to release their conflicts of interest, prompting calls for greater transparency from the publicly funded body.The government has refused to release the conflict-of-interest declarations for members of its National Covid-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC), a prominent advisory body shaping non-health aspects of Australia’s Covid-19 strategy. Continue reading...

Casavant shot mother black bear under province policy but was suspended and eventually fired for not killing cubsA conservation officer in Canada who was fired for refusing to kill two black bear cubs has won a protracted legal battle over his termination.“I feel like the black clouds that have hung over my family for years are finally starting to part,” Bryce Casavant told the Guardian. “But the moment is bittersweet – my firing should have never happened in the first place.” Continue reading...

Supporters deny ‘vicious rumours’ about Scouting founder being pro-HitlerA council’s plans to remove a statue of the founder of the Scout movement amid fears that it would be targeted by anti-racist activists were thwarted when it was surrounded by dozens of locals refusing to allow it to be taken away.Former scouts were among those who formed a ring around the statue of Robert Baden-Powell, a divisive figure who has been accused of support for Adolf Hitler, on the quayside in Poole. They vowed that they would not let either council workers or activists get to the statue. Continue reading...

Almost 10,000 new cases in India on Thursday as WHO warns situation outside Europe deterioratingIndia reported almost 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, with hospitals swamped in the worst-hit cities of Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai, and predictions that the infection rate will not peak before the end of next month.The country of 1.3bn people now has the fifth highest number of confirmed cases in the world, at 286,579. Over the last 24 hours 357 people have died from the virus, bringing the official toll to 8,102. Continue reading...

The singer played ticketed livestreams from an (almost) empty church to brighten up lockdown. We took up a lonely pew to see if it could match the real thing

‘Third-century’ artefacts with hieroglyphics and Basque words referred to non-existent gods and to René DescartesA Spanish archaeologist whose staggering discoveries included one of the earliest representations of the crucifixion and proof that the written Basque language was centuries older than previously thought has been found guilty of faking the finds.The saga began in June 2006 when Eliseo Gil presented artefacts excavated from the Roman town of Veleia, near the Basque city of Vitoria. Continue reading...

Woman who fled as schoolgirl to join Isis cannot fight fair appeal from Syria, lawyers sayShamima Begum, the woman who left Britain as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State, cannot effectively challenge the government’s decision to deprive her of British citizenship while she is in a detention camp in northern Syria, the court of appeal has been told.At the start of a two-day online hearing, her lawyers challenged a ruling by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) this year that she has not been rendered stateless because she is entitled to Bangladeshi citizenship. Continue reading...

Authorities say country has fewer than 1,000 intensive care patients with Covid-19

The fashion industry makes huge profits from the exploitation of black and brown women. Now is the time to call it outOf all the shocks that the past few weeks and months have brought to all our lives, one of the biggest for me as a black woman working in the fashion industry is that finally people are realising that racism is more than calling someone a derogatory name.The killing of George Floyd while in police custody and the global outrage and protest that followed is bringing a dawning collective understanding that white supremacy relies on the exploitation of black and brown people. Continue reading...

Woman and two children repeatedly complained about unsafe accommodationA high court judge has ordered the Home Office to pay for a hotel for a vulnerable asylum seeker and her two young children, after twice placing them in unsafe accommodation over the past 10 months.The woman and her two children aged eight and nine were placed in Home Office accommodation last August, but made repeated complaints about the conditions. Concerns were raised about the risk to the woman and her children of remaining in that accommodation by the children’s school, social services, lawyers and charities. Continue reading...

Thomas Thabane and his current wife allegedly agreed to pay hitmen $179,485 to carry out killingLesotho’s former prime minister Thomas Thabane paid a team of hitmen from a notorious local gang a down payment of more than $20,000 to kill his estranged wife, according to police statements.The cash was alleged to be the first instalment of a much larger sum – approximately $180,000 – that was agreed as a fee for the murder three years ago. Continue reading...

Carolyn Fairbairn says many businesses cannot prepare for no deal during Covid-19 crisisBusiness leaders have pleaded with the government not to walk away from Brexit talks without a deal after Michael Gove claimed the Confederation of British Industry supported no extension to the transition period.The CBI’s director general, Carolyn Fairbairn, said to crash out without a deal would be a “major block to recovery”. Continue reading...

As a new David Attenborough documentary examines the waterway’s history, we rate the river’s finest movie cameosThis film follows a well-understood movie tradition of using the Thames, with its twists and turns and swerves, as a spectacular setpiece to whoosh us along the city, tracking the river from the air. Here, Harry (played by Daniel Ratcliffe) has been expelled from Hogwarts and is under attack from Dementors, so “Mad-Eye” Moody (Brendan Gleeson) takes Harry and his pals on an amazing broomstick ride along the river, past the Canary Wharf towers and the museum ship HMS Belfast. Tower Bridge makes its mandatory appearance before Harry and the gang rocket past the Houses of Parliament and arrive in Grimmauld Place, the former headquarters of the titular Order of the Phoenix, somewhere north of the river. Continue reading...

Bristol man sees official record of his age as five years older than he says as theft of his identityA young man who was given permission to stay in the UK after fleeing Gaza has been on hunger strike for more than 90 days in protest at what he sees as the “theft” of his true identity on his official records.The man, who has learning disabilities and post-traumatic stress disorder, says he was wrongly assessed as being five years older than he is when he arrived in the UK. He regards his date of birth as a crucial part of his identity and a vital link to his late parents. Continue reading...

Akhtar Imam says animals saved his life from ‘gun-carrying criminals’ last yearAn Indian man has opted to bequeath most of his land to two elephants that he says saved his life from intruders, a decision which has upset his wife and children.Akhtar Imam, from a village in the eastern state of Bihar, said he changed his will to bequeath 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) to gentle giants Moti (Pearl) and Rani (Queen). Continue reading...

Anglo-Dutch conglomerate denies U-turn after finally choosing the UK capital over Dutch city as its HQUnilever has picked London as its home in an about-face on the company’s 2018 decision to “go Dutch” which was abandoned after a revolt by British shareholders.Despite a fresh internal review that this time selected London rather than Rotterdam as the location of its headquarters, the Unilever chairman, Nils Andersen, insisted it was not a flip-flop but a pragmatic way to complete an overdue overhaul of its unwieldy corporate structure. Continue reading...

The rally, which was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, has been declared a prohibited public gatheringRefugee activists have vowed to push ahead with a planned protest this weekend despite the supreme court prohibiting the event amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Justice Michael Walton on Thursday night granted a NSW police application for the rally to be declared a prohibited public gathering. Continue reading...

From maternal mortality to access to pain relief, minority-ethnic groups have always suffered disproportionately. But now the data on Covid-19 deaths cannot be ignoredOne of the last things I did before lockdown began was to speak at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists at an event on race and maternal mortality. It has been known for a few years now that – incredibly – black women in the UK are five times more likely to die in pregnancy than white women, while Asian women are twice as likely to die. The atmosphere in the room was heavy with anger and disappointment. Black doctors, nurses and midwives were exasperated by the failure to protect women.In the United States, too, black and Native American women suffer greater rates of maternal mortality than white women. This is just one of many examples of racial inequality in health. A US study found last year that black patients were 40% less likely than white patients to get the medication they needed to relieve acute pain. A UK study published in January showed that Asian patients with dementia were 14% less likely to be prescribed beneficial anti-dementia drugs than white patients were. Continue reading...

‘Action arm’ will have intelligence-gathering capabilities, security chief says, as state media says legislators are working ‘day and night’ on new lawsHong Kong’s security chief has announced that a dedicated police unit is being set up and would be ready to enforce controversial new national security laws from day one.There is widespread international and commercial concern about the impact of the laws that are being imposed on the semi-autonomous region directly by Beijing, bypassing Hong Kong’s legislature. The move has prompted the UK to offer a visa to millions of Hongkongers if they felt uncomfortable staying. Continue reading...

Test to promote informed discussion will ask users if they want to retweet unread linksTwitter is trying to stop people from sharing articles they have not read, in an experiment the company hopes will “promote informed discussion” on social media.In the test, pushed to some users on Android devices, the company is introducing a prompt asking people if they really want to retweet a link that they have not tapped on. Continue reading...

On Radio 4’s Today programme, the comedian justified decision to portray former South African president in blackfaceHarry Enfield has defended the use of blackface on television in an interview broadcast on Radio 4’s Today programme. In conversation with host Nick Robinson and fellow guest Ava Vidal, the comedian aimed to justify his decision to portray Nelson Mandela, describing it as “so wrong that it was right”.Enfield, known for playing characters including Loadsamoney and Kevin the Teenager on television, said he had also used makeup to play an Indian soldier in a BBC programme, a decision he also deemed appropriate. Continue reading...

One conservative coalition senator, Jim Molan, walks out rather than joining colleagues in preventing discussionAustralian senators have overwhelmingly united to block Pauline Hanson’s attempt to put forward an inflammatory “all lives matter” motion – with a notable exception.A conservative Coalition senator, Jim Molan, walked out of the Senate rather than joining his colleagues in preventing the discussion, insisting all senators should have had a right to air their views on the topic. Continue reading...

Singer says government decree preventing refunds for cancelled gigs is ‘insult to fans’

A summary of the major developments in the coronavirus outbreak across Australia

Leroy Logan was shocked by the racism he encountered in the Metropolitan police. Things improved after the Stephen Lawrence inquiry – but sometimes it feels as if the bad old days are backGrowing up, we didn’t feel as if the police were there to protect us. We were always fearful of the police; we couldn’t walk around in large groups because that would attract them, and we were often subject to the “sus” (“suspected person”) law.When I joined the force in 1983, it came as a total surprise to my parents. I knew people from my background would see me as a sellout for joining the organisation that made us feel unsafe. A lot of my friends were very hostile towards me, whether they’d had experience with the police or not. Continue reading...

Inquiry will look at range of issues including operation of state and federal laws affecting Indigenous cultural heritage. Follow updates

Scott Morrison says protesters should be ‘honest about our history’ but the truth about slavery in Australia is commonly misunderstoodScott Morrison asserted in a radio interview on Thursday morning that “there was no slavery in Australia”.This is a common misunderstanding which often obscures our nation’s history of exploitation of First Nations people and Pacific Islanders. Continue reading...

Author reveals experiences in essay after facing criticism over her comments on trans issuesJK Rowling has revealed her experience of domestic abuse and sexual assault for the first time, in a lengthy and highly personal essay written in response to criticism of her public comments on transgender issues.In a 3,600-word statement published on her website on Wednesday, Rowling described in more detail than ever how she became involved in an increasingly bitter and polarised debate around the concept of gender identity. Continue reading...

Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Damian Green among backbenchers calling for change, saying it is essential for the economy

Guardian Australia revealed the resources giant had permission from the Western Australian government to destroy the sites in the PilbaraBHP has said it will not damage 40 Aboriginal heritage sites which it received ministerial permission to destroy without “further extensive consultation” with traditional owners, after Guardian Australia revealed that traditional owners had been legally prevented from speaking publicly about the sites.It comes amid a mounting shareholder backlash against mining companies for their destruction of Aboriginal heritage, which began with Rio Tinto’s destruction of a 46,000-year-old heritage site at Juukan Gorge last month and has been compared by shareholder groups to widespread bad conduct in the financial services sector before the banking royal commission. Continue reading...

President announces rally in Tulsa, city with a history of deadly racial violence, even as Covid-19 cases continue to riseDonald Trump will hold a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next Friday – his first since since states began shutting down in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 110,000 lives in the US.Related: Trump would 'not even consider' renaming bases with Confederate links Continue reading...

From protecting fishing communities to regrowing coral reefs, Guardian readers and environmentalists share how they’re working to defend the oceanSteve Trott, 58, projects manager at Watamu Marine Association Continue reading...

Russian-born photographer Maria Quigley grew up in Britain. For this project she returned to her grandmother’s small flat in St Petersburg to explore themes of memory, isolation and female identity across three generations of her familyThe images in this series address questions of claustrophobic spaces. They convey a sense of being locked down, however they were taken last year before the emergence of Covid-19. They were snapped inside my grandmother’s small flat in St Petersburg, which for many years she has hardly left. As long as I can remember my grandmother’s world has conveyed a sense of being locked down. She leaves the flat once a week to get groceries and a TV guide from the shop directly below her apartment. In the winter she doesn’t leave the flat for three months because it’s too cold and windy outside, or too slippery. Continue reading...

Campaigners fear damage to protected regions by companies exploiting their resourcesThe Greek government is facing growing opposition over a controversial environmental super-law passed when debate and public consultation were curtailed by lockdown measures imposed as a result of the pandemic.Resistance has intensified as part of a grassroots revolt over legislation that critics contend will irrevocably change the face of Greece. Continue reading...

The Black Lives Matter actions have given renewed impetus to the campaign against injustices in the Indonesian provinceStudent Eden Armando Bebari, 19, was allegedly shot and killed by Indonesian security forces while fishing in his home town in West Papua in April.Indonesian media described Bebari as a member of an armed criminal group, a claim denied by his parents. Many residents in Papua, the eastern-most province of Indonesia, now fish and tend crops to ease food shortages brought about by coronavirus lockdowns. Continue reading...

A second wave of coronavirus cases would be disastrous – but there are ways to prevent this happening

Hurling and Irish dancing are part of County Wexford’s cultural tradition. Photographer Luis Alberto Rodriguez got physical with the locals Continue reading...

Vast vessels spent almost 3,000 hours fishing in officially protected areas in 2019Supertrawlers spent almost 3,000 hours fishing in UK marine protected areas in 2019, making “a mockery of the word ‘protected’,” according to campaigners.Supertrawlers are those over 100 metres in length and can catch hundreds of tonnes of fish every day, using nets up to a mile long. A Greenpeace investigation revealed that the 25 supertrawlers included the four biggest in the world and fished in 39 different marine protected areas (MPAs). Continue reading...

Many have attempted to claim that ‘things are better here’ for black people than in the US. This ignores both Europe’s colonial past and its own racist present. By Gary YoungeIn September 1963, in Llansteffan, Wales, a stained-glass artist named John Petts was listening to the radio when he heard the news that four black girls had been murdered in a bombing while at Sunday school at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.The news moved Petts, who was white and British, deeply. “Naturally, as a father, I was horrified by the death of the children,” said Petts, in a recording archived by London’s Imperial War Museum. “As a craftsman in a meticulous craft, I was horrified by the smashing of all those [stained-glass] windows. And I thought to myself, my word, what can we do about this?” Continue reading...

Popular tourist region in south already affected by coronavirus downturn is battered by downpours sparking mudslidesFloods and mudslides in south China have uprooted hundreds of thousands of people and left dozens dead or missing, according to state media.The bad weather has wreaked havoc on popular tourist areas that had already suffered through months of travel restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading...

Company says due to brewer’s yeast being in short supply, production of the spread has been affectedMarmite can only produce small jars due to the coronavirus pandemic, a company tweet has suggested.The spread, made with yeast extract, is now only being produced in a 250g size jar as a result of brewers’ yeast being more difficult to get hold of, a message sent on the company’s official account said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Industry observers question the viability of the Barangaroo project relying solely on foreign high-rollersThe Chinese government directive urging its citizens not to travel to Australia threatens to render a still under construction $2.2bn casino complex on Sydney harbour a “white elephant”, according to industry experts who say the project can no longer rely on income from high-roller gamblers from China who were central to its business model.Gambling academics and city planners have all expressed concern over the future of Crown’s Sydney casino at Barangaroo as a result of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s warning to Chinese residents “to enhance their safety awareness and do not travel to Australia” issued last week, citing a spike in racism during the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading...

Child will reportedly have a record until 2032 after asking in shop if he could use fake eurosSwiss police have investigated an eight-year-old boy after he allegedly asked whether he could use a toy banknote in a village shop.The fake euro note was Chinese joss paper “spirit money” – used as symbolic burnt offerings at funerals to ensure the dead have a happy afterlife, according to the Basler Zeitung (BaZ) newspaper. Continue reading...

Asylum applications in Europe fall to lowest level for a decade as borders closed; world faces worst food crisis in 50 years. This blog is now closed

Many Pacific nations are Covid-free but have been devastated by the economic impacts of the virus

Call comes after China warned students to reconsider going to Australia because of ‘incidents of discrimination’ targeting people of Asian descentAustralian politicians must unite against racism after Chinese-Australians were subjected to “awful and shocking” abuse during the pandemic, the shadow minister for multicultural affairs has told parliament.Andrew Giles, a Victorian Labor MP, warned that the rise in racist incidents was a threat to social cohesion and demanded “an unambiguous response” from everyone in positions of leadership, which should include a new national strategy to tackle the problem. Continue reading...

Thursday: Mining giant plans to destroy up to 86 significant Aboriginal sites. Plus, could streaming save the Australian film industry?Good morning, this is Richard Parkin bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Thursday 11 June. Continue reading...

Russia and China have been accused by Brussels of running disinformation campaigns inside the European Union, as the bloc set out a plan to tackle an 'infodemic' of false facts about the coronavirus. While the charge against Russia has been levelled on many occasions, this is the first time the European commission has publicly named China as a source of disinformation